Hamidou Diallo Graduates

[James]

Trust me, shoe companies and boosters alike have far easier ways to give kids money.


As for HD, many people find his decision to do a pg year at Putnam very suspicious.

I wouldn't say suspicious , but there was heavy talk in the summer he would transfer to a more established prep school for sure

 

[CGarr]

I really don't understand the negativity towards a school that's important to the program. Makes no sense.

PSA got sponsored for the first time last season. These sponsorships are nothing glamorous. A couple grand, some free shoes and discounts off gear with a bunch of caveats.

The "chinese investors" story that came out when they first reopened has been clarified in articles. Most seem to ignore it though. A local successful doctor (I think a surgeon) of Asian decent, invested in the school as a philithropic gesture to the community to help under privilege kids. My cynical side says it's all about getting his hands on the property for future development.

My opinion is the Coach is building a program from the ground up, working with very little resources and proving to be very successful. His goal is probably to move up the ladder to one of the country club nepsac schools that have unlimited resources. If he keeps finding diamonds in the rough like Hami and Mamadou it will happen.

Like I've written before, Hamidou wasn't a kid recruited from the time he was in diapers. No one knew his name 2 years ago. When he enrolled at PSA the plan from day 1 was for him to go post grad. He sticking to the plan. Maybe it's b/c of Thon, maybe it's out of loyalty to his coach. We'll find out soon.

 

[CGarr]

I wouldn't say suspicious , but there was heavy talk in the summer he would transfer to a more established prep school for sure

At the same exact time those rumors popped up on here there was video of him out in California - I think the Pangos camp- recruiting kids to PSA.

While I'm absolutely sure he was recruited by the big time prep schools judging by that video he never seriously considered it.

To me it screams loyalty to his coaches and teammates to others (idiots) it will scream blue chips.

 

[James]

At the same exact time those rumors popped up on here there was video of him out in California - I think the Pangos camp- recruiting kids to PSA.

While I'm absolutely sure he was recruited by the big time prep schools judging by that video he never seriously considered it.

To me it screams loyalty to his coaches and teammates to others (idiots) it will scream blue chips.

I was thinking more along the lines of brewster or different nepsac school with better resources than PSA. I'm the one who brought that here, heard it several times this summer from different people in ct, starting at the GHPA. Either way, it may scream loyalty, it could also scream 'precaution'. diallo can coast through his PG year and sign a multi million dollar contract as a first rounder next june if he wants... he's played his hand perfectly.

 

[kansashusky]

Trust me, shoe companies and boosters alike have far easier ways to give kids money.


As for HD, many people find his decision to do a pg year at Putnam very suspicious.

I agree. What are the advantages for him to stay another year? Academics or skill development? A university would be able to offer him tenfold what PSA could. You would have to think the coach would have some influence here. It certainly helps him have another successful year so that he can move up the ladder, and Hami can score thirty every night while working on his jump shot (shot sub 20% from behind the arc in EYBL).

 

[upstater]

At the same exact time those rumors popped up on here there was video of him out in California - I think the Pangos camp- recruiting kids to PSA.

While I'm absolutely sure he was recruited by the big time prep schools judging by that video he never seriously considered it.

To me it screams loyalty to his coaches and teammates to others (idiots) it will scream blue chips.

To me it just sounds like he fell in love with rural Connecticut.

 

[UConnStats]

PSA was quick to not accept Zach Brown'a crap, and Diarra/Diallo both seem like smart kids.

It's not fair to question the integrity of PSA, and by extension, it's students without grounds. For all we know, these kids are working their tails off. I wouldn't want to see an asterisk created out of thin air for what could be a very important and fruitful addition to Connecticut.

 

[gtcam]

Maybe just a case of being comfortable where he is used to and it may be easier to stay than go somewhere else and acclimate all over again
Have a feeling he is going pro straight from PSA - but have no inside scoop about anything

 

[Paesano]

I am amazed at the fatalist attitude of our fan base. Basically, we have nothing special to offer any recruit (relative to puke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona or UK), we have nothing to offer current players to entice them to stay in school if they are projected to go anywhere in the draft (including late second round) and any post-grad who is a unanimous five star player will, without a doubt, go pro instead because why would he want to go to UConn instead. We suck. No one should want to go here and only a miracle by Ollie will result in a Top 10 kid ever coming here. And we will never be relevant again because our conference sucks and we will never get into a good conference because our football team sucks. Clearly, our run in 2013 was a fluke as was Villanova's in 2016. Two flukes in 4 years is a super fluke. From here on out, only P5 teams will win.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

I am amazed at the fatalist attitude of our fan base. Basically, we have nothing special to offer any recruit (relative to puke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona or UK), we have nothing to offer current players to entice them to stay in school if they are projected to go anywhere in the draft (including late second round) and any post-grad who is a unanimous five star player will, without a doubt, go pro instead because why would he want to go to UConn instead. We suck. No one should want to go here and only a miracle by Ollie will result in a Top 10 kid ever coming here. And we will never be relevant again because our conference sucks and we will never get into a good conference because our football team sucks. Clearly, our run in 2014 was a fluke as was Villanova's in 2016. Two flukes in 4 years is a super fluke. From here on out, only P5 teams will win.

FIFY

 

[kansashusky]

I am amazed at the fatalist attitude of our fan base. Basically, we have nothing special to offer any recruit (relative to puke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona or UK), we have nothing to offer current players to entice them to stay in school if they are projected to go anywhere in the draft (including late second round) and any post-grad who is a unanimous five star player will, without a doubt, go pro instead because why would he want to go to UConn instead. We suck. No one should want to go here and only a miracle by Ollie will result in a Top 10 kid ever coming here. And we will never be relevant again because our conference sucks and we will never get into a good conference because our football team sucks. Clearly, our run in 2013 was a fluke as was Villanova's in 2016. Two flukes in 4 years is a super fluke. From here on out, only P5 teams will win.

A couple things. I do not thing anyone here would suggest we have nothing to offer any recruit. But those names you listed are all perennial recruiting powers with history that goes back way farther than UConns. I also do not think anyone would argue that those schools have and will always out recruit UConn. The last kid UConn got that was top ten was Drummond. I know Daniels flirted with top ten status based on which service you subscribe to, but he was generally 15-20. UConn builds around 4* and 3* talent and tries to develop those kids and has them stay in their program longer.

Ollie is very good at identifying what the needs are and who we have a realistic shot at. Sometimes he gets ambitious with top tier talent, and he has yet to land a huge name, but that's okay as long as our recruiting classes fall in the top 20. Last years was top ten, this years will be closer to 20-25.

Yes being in the AAC hurts us, and our football team is not helping us out. I dont think that's fatalist. They longer we stay in the AAC the more we will begin to feel its effects.

 

[gtcam]

I am amazed at the fatalist attitude of our fan base. Basically, we have nothing special to offer any recruit (relative to puke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona or UK), we have nothing to offer current players to entice them to stay in school if they are projected to go anywhere in the draft (including late second round) and any post-grad who is a unanimous five star player will, without a doubt, go pro instead because why would he want to go to UConn instead. We suck. No one should want to go here and only a miracle by Ollie will result in a Top 10 kid ever coming here. And we will never be relevant again because our conference sucks and we will never get into a good conference because our football team sucks. Clearly, our run in 2013 was a fluke as was Villanova's in 2016. Two flukes in 4 years is a super fluke. From here on out, only P5 teams will win.

Maybe I'm a bit thick - is this your honest opinion or is it a parody?
If a parody - it's a good one
If it's your honest opinion - why bother coming on this board and UConn has what all the others don't - Four in fifteen years
I really can't decide if I should like or ignore!!

 

[Stainmaster]

I am amazed at the fatalist attitude of our fan base. Basically, we have nothing special to offer any recruit (relative to puke, UNC, Kansas, Arizona or UK), we have nothing to offer current players to entice them to stay in school if they are projected to go anywhere in the draft (including late second round) and any post-grad who is a unanimous five star player will, without a doubt, go pro instead because why would he want to go to UConn instead. We suck. No one should want to go here and only a miracle by Ollie will result in a Top 10 kid ever coming here. And we will never be relevant again because our conference sucks and we will never get into a good conference because our football team sucks. Clearly, our run in 2013 was a fluke as was Villanova's in 2016. Two flukes in 4 years is a super fluke. From here on out, only P5 teams will win.

Sounds just as fishy as "the only reason recruits choose schools other than UConn is because the other schools pay them."

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Sounds just as fishy as "the only reason recruits choose schools other than UConn is because the other schools pay them."

Don't forget "Cal promised Anthony Davis he'd get him a Nike deal if he went to Kentucky." Thank god he did or he'd be the only player in the NBA playing in Sketchers.

 

[upstater]

A couple things. I do not thing anyone here would suggest we have nothing to offer any recruit. But those names you listed are all perennial recruiting powers with history that goes back way farther than UConns. I also do not think anyone would argue that those schools have and will always out recruit UConn. The last kid UConn got that was top ten was Drummond. I know Daniels flirted with top ten status based on which service you subscribe to, but he was generally 15-20. UConn builds around 4* and 3* talent and tries to develop those kids and has them stay in their program longer.

Ollie is very good at identifying what the needs are and who we have a realistic shot at. Sometimes he gets ambitious with top tier talent, and he has yet to land a huge name, but that's okay as long as our recruiting classes fall in the top 20. Last years was top ten, this years will be closer to 20-25.

Yes being in the AAC hurts us, and our football team is not helping us out. I dont think that's fatalist. They longer we stay in the AAC the more we will begin to feel its effects.

UConn's stellar NBA producing history starts with Cliff Robinson in 1989 (yes, I know Corny Thompson and others, but I'm talking about the current run).

To most people, this is enough of a history to overshadow anything that came before. We are talking about 27 years of producing NBA players. That's quite a bit of time, and the run after Robinson soon included Chris Smith, Tate George, Scotty Burrell.

I really don't think history means much beyond these 30 years or so. It's a very long time.

Now, if you talk about conference, fan support, and a few other things, UConn may be at a disadvantage.

 

[Paesano]

Sounds just as fishy as "the only reason recruits choose schools other than UConn is because the other schools pay them."

No it doesn't.

 

[UC1985]

PSA got sponsored for the first time last season. These sponsorships are nothing glamorous. A couple grand, some free shoes and discounts off gear with a bunch of caveats.

The "chinese investors" story that came out when they first reopened has been clarified in articles. Most seem to ignore it though. A local successful doctor (I think a surgeon) of Asian decent, invested in the school as a philithropic gesture to the community to help under privilege kids. My cynical side says it's all about getting his hands on the property for future development.

I have not looked too deeply into the "investors" story, but what exactly is the point of it being a gesture to the "community" to help "underprivileged" kids when these kids are from all over the country? There's like 2-5 local kids out of the 25 kids between the PG and the Varsity team. Underprivileged? These kids would go to school for free to whichever prep school or basketball factory of their choice around the country. You really missed the boat with your theory.

 

[CGarr]

I have not looked too deeply into the "investors" story, but what exactly is the point of it being a gesture to the "community" to help "underprivileged" kids when these kids are from all over the country? There's like 2-5 local kids out of the 25 kids between the PG and the Varsity team. Underprivileged? These kids would go to school for free to whichever prep school or basketball factory of their choice around the country. You really missed the boat with your theory.

My "theory" was it's about developing the property in the future. The philanthropy part was just what was reported.

Keep investigating the deep dark world of basketball players getting scholarships to high school.

 

[80shusky]

Diallo at First Night tonight.

 

[James]

So kentuckys 'first night' is tonight as well? or is it tomorrow?

 

[tcf15]

So kentuckys 'first night' is tonight as well? or is it tomorrow?

it's tonight.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

This would be the ultimate friend zone

 

[UConNick]

Doesn't mean he won't be on a plane to Lexington tomorrow morning, but still, psyched that he's coming for like a 3rd year in a row.

 

[4in16]

Crisis averted.

 

[Yankees32123]

He's most likely flying to Lexington tomorrow. But this is great news.