Has any UConn upper classman helped their future basketball career more so than Tristan Newton? | The Boneyard

Has any UConn upper classman helped their future basketball career more so than Tristan Newton?

DogMania

DogMania

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Court Report: UConn's Tristen Newton has been the not-so-quiet MVP of the Huskies' season so far

Has any UConn upper classman (particularly seniors) helped their future basketball career more so than Tristan Newton?

Tate George, Kevin Ollie and Donnie Marshall and Travis Knight come to mind who were not on anyone's NBA radar till their Senior seasons. I was surprised when I looked them up that Take went in the first round and that KO went undrafted. Granted none had stellar NBA careers. Travis netted a multimillion, multi-year headscratcher contract thanks to the Cs. And KO earned some nice coin via a string of one year contacts during his long NBA career.

With the trend of college athletes leaving early with eligibility still left on the table even if it is to pursue a career overseas or some two-way D League opportunity, Tristan decided to return for his last year of eligibility. I remember reading that a NBA GM said about college players returning for their junior or senior season risking their stock dropping, the more they get to see them the less they tend to like what they see. So there's often the risk that a player who some think might risk that opportunity by returning and not showing much improvement. The NBA draft has a lot to do with potential in most cases.

Granted, Tristan had little to risk in returning since I don't think he was on anyone's NBA draft radar, though he probably could have secured a contract to play for pay overseas. He was very good last season and finish strong during the tournament. He struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. It has been eye-popping to see how much he's improved this season. There's still a lot of Hoops to be played this year, but if he continues to play at this level throughout the season I'd be surprised if he didn't get drafted towards the latter part of the first round or upper part of the second round.

Regardless to what happens, I'm going to enjoy every minute he plays for our UConn Huskies. This team would likely not be in the hunt for our first back-to-back National Championship if it were not for his return.
 
Connecticut13 said:
He's been flat out fantastic.

As far as improving draft stock, the first one that comes to mind is Hilton Armstrong. Limited playing time for his first three years, then played his way into the lottery.
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Hilton is who I thought of as well. He came back senior year having totally reworked his body and his play.
 
Connecticut13 said:
He's been flat out fantastic.

As far as improving draft stock, the first one that comes to mind is Hilton Armstrong. Limited playing time for his first three years, then played his way into the lottery.
Expand ...
Oh yeah! Hilton should have been on that list. I was a bit surprised that he got drafted so high and wondered if he would do well in the NBA, which turned out mediocre at best.

Josh Boone is an example as to why one should leave with eligibility still on the table. Probably would have hurt his stock if he had returned for his senior year.
 
Even if he doesn’t go NBA, at this rate he could make a career from NIL now to a G-league situation & live a pretty cool life
 
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I will read the rest of this thread later so apologies if someone has already said this:

Newton has definitely improved his NBA draft stock. I could see him getting a 2-way contract, but even if he doesn't he will make good money playing basketball somewhere in a high level European league like Spain, Greece, or Italy.
 
The only two modern era players are Hilton and Bazz
Newton has been unreal
 
DogMania said:
Court Report: UConn's Tristen Newton has been the not-so-quiet MVP of the Huskies' season so far

Has any UConn upper classman (particularly seniors) helped their future basketball career more so than Tristan Newton?

Tate George, Kevin Ollie and Donnie Marshall and Travis Knight come to mind who were not on anyone's NBA radar till their Senior seasons. I was surprised when I looked them up that Take went in the first round and that KO went undrafted. Granted none had stellar NBA careers. Travis netted a multimillion, multi-year headscratcher contract thanks to the Cs. And KO earned some nice coin via a string of one year contacts during his long NBA career.

With the trend of college athletes leaving early with eligibility still left on the table even if it is to pursue a career overseas or some two-way D League opportunity, Tristan decided to return for his last year of eligibility. I remember reading that a NBA GM said about college players returning for their junior or senior season risking their stock dropping, the more they get to see them the less they tend to like what they see. So there's often the risk that a player who some think might risk that opportunity by returning and not showing much improvement. The NBA draft has a lot to do with potential in most cases.

Granted, Tristan had little to risk in returning since I don't think he was on anyone's NBA draft radar, though he probably could have secured a contract to play for pay overseas. He was very good last season and finish strong during the tournament. He struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. It has been eye-popping to see how much he's improved this season. There's still a lot of Hoops to be played this year, but if he continues to play at this level throughout the season I'd be surprised if he didn't get drafted towards the latter part of the first round or upper part of the second round.

Regardless to what happens, I'm going to enjoy every minute he plays for our UConn Huskies. This team would likely not be in the hunt for our first back-to-back National Championship if it were not for his return.
Expand ...
No! Next question.
 
.-.
DogMania said:
Court Report: UConn's Tristen Newton has been the not-so-quiet MVP of the Huskies' season so far

Has any UConn upper classman (particularly seniors) helped their future basketball career more so than Tristan Newton?

Tate George, Kevin Ollie and Donnie Marshall and Travis Knight come to mind who were not on anyone's NBA radar till their Senior seasons. I was surprised when I looked them up that Take went in the first round and that KO went undrafted. Granted none had stellar NBA careers. Travis netted a multimillion, multi-year headscratcher contract thanks to the Cs. And KO earned some nice coin via a string of one year contacts during his long NBA career.

With the trend of college athletes leaving early with eligibility still left on the table even if it is to pursue a career overseas or some two-way D League opportunity, Tristan decided to return for his last year of eligibility. I remember reading that a NBA GM said about college players returning for their junior or senior season risking their stock dropping, the more they get to see them the less they tend to like what they see. So there's often the risk that a player who some think might risk that opportunity by returning and not showing much improvement. The NBA draft has a lot to do with potential in most cases.

Granted, Tristan had little to risk in returning since I don't think he was on anyone's NBA draft radar, though he probably could have secured a contract to play for pay overseas. He was very good last season and finish strong during the tournament. He struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. It has been eye-popping to see how much he's improved this season. There's still a lot of Hoops to be played this year, but if he continues to play at this level throughout the season I'd be surprised if he didn't get drafted towards the latter part of the first round or upper part of the second round.

Regardless to what happens, I'm going to enjoy every minute he plays for our UConn Huskies. This team would likely not be in the hunt for our first back-to-back National Championship if it were not for his return.
Expand ...
Newton was viewed as a 2nd rounder/undrafted rookie after last season. After not being invited to the Combine, he had nothing to lose, stock-wise, by returning. Particularly considering NIL and the exposure typically granted to a defending national championship teams with the caliber to actually run it back.

He also has a set role on this years team, vs. trying to find his way early on last year. He is the unquestioned veteran leader. By virtue of his age, he's still probably 2nd rounder, but he shouldn't have a problem finding a role as a 6'-5" point guard.
 
Connecticut13 said:
He's been flat out fantastic.

As far as improving draft stock, the first one that comes to mind is Hilton Armstrong. Limited playing time for his first three years, then played his way into the lottery.
Expand ...
Hilton was definitely the first one I thought of
 
DogMania said:
Court Report: UConn's Tristen Newton has been the not-so-quiet MVP of the Huskies' season so far

Has any UConn upper classman (particularly seniors) helped their future basketball career more so than Tristan Newton?

Tate George, Kevin Ollie and Donnie Marshall and Travis Knight come to mind who were not on anyone's NBA radar till their Senior seasons. I was surprised when I looked them up that Take went in the first round and that KO went undrafted. Granted none had stellar NBA careers. Travis netted a multimillion, multi-year headscratcher contract thanks to the Cs. And KO earned some nice coin via a string of one year contacts during his long NBA career.

With the trend of college athletes leaving early with eligibility still left on the table even if it is to pursue a career overseas or some two-way D League opportunity, Tristan decided to return for his last year of eligibility. I remember reading that a NBA GM said about college players returning for their junior or senior season risking their stock dropping, the more they get to see them the less they tend to like what they see. So there's often the risk that a player who some think might risk that opportunity by returning and not showing much improvement. The NBA draft has a lot to do with potential in most cases.

Granted, Tristan had little to risk in returning since I don't think he was on anyone's NBA draft radar, though he probably could have secured a contract to play for pay overseas. He was very good last season and finish strong during the tournament. He struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. It has been eye-popping to see how much he's improved this season. There's still a lot of Hoops to be played this year, but if he continues to play at this level throughout the season I'd be surprised if he didn't get drafted towards the latter part of the first round or upper part of the second round.

Regardless to what happens, I'm going to enjoy every minute he plays for our UConn Huskies. This team would likely not be in the hunt for our first back-to-back National Championship if it were not for his return.
Expand ...
Dude, if you’re going to take the time to write a novel at least spell the guy’s name right. I mean it’s literally spelled out for you in the link you posted.
 
.-.
Husky25 said:
Newton was viewed as a 2nd rounder/undrafted rookie after last season. After not being invited to the Combine, he had nothing to lose, stock-wise, by returning. Particularly considering NIL and the exposure typically granted to a defending national championship teams with the caliber to actually run it back.

He also has a set role on this years team, vs. trying to find his way early on last year. He is the unquestioned veteran leader. By virtue of his age, he's still probably 2nd rounder, but he shouldn't have a problem finding a role as a 6'-5" point guard.
Expand ...
Any team that takes him in the second round wins the draft.
 
Drumguy said:
Hilton is who I thought of as well. He came back senior year having totally reworked his body and his play.
Expand ...
I always thought Hilton was a god player. He was always in Calhoun’s dog house
 
He’s basically Kevin Ollie with more offensive pop. And KO was in the NBA for 10 years.
 
Newton’s final year is starting to remind me of Buddy Hield’s final year. Where he was always a really good player, then he just became special for his final year.
 
Caron Butler's late season run, and Charlie Villanueva

Both were sophomores

Nobody was thinking about Caron in mid February, then we went unbeaten all the way to the Elite 8. From coming back to college to the lottery

Calhoun said Chaz was the most overrated player he ever coached in December 2004. Said he couldn't play professional basketball in Timbuktu. Charlie started to average like 17 and 10 the rest of the way, left a lottery pick

I know they weren't upperclassmen, but they both won the lottery after amazing finishes
 
.-.
While he wasn't invited to the combine he did work out for a few NBA teams. Whatever takeaways he got from those opportunities he certainly is putting to good use.
 
Armstrong for sure. He went from being an afterthought of a recruit to a legitimate NBA prospect. It also didn't hurt that he probably put on 40-50 lbs of muscle over 2-3 years.

Tate George, but that was based solely on one shot. He was a 2nd round pick at best before that. He had good size for a point guard (at that time), but was slow and had no perimeter shot.

Knight getting drafted in the 1st round still astounds me. I am not sure what Pitino was thinking when he signed him to that huge contract in Boston. I swear Pitino was just a NY guy trying to destroy a Boston franchise. Knight's skill set just didn't fit with the NBA.

It's hard to put players like Butler and Villanueva in this category. They were highly regarded players coming out of high school.

I thought Boone was always overrated. He made a living off of sloppy seconds his freshman year because opposing teams were so focused on Okafor. I admit, I am biased against the 2006 team. I thought, as a whole, they were lazy and focused more on the NBA than actually playing. Probably the most underperforming team in UConn history. they should have been a lock for the Final Four.
 
Niels Giffey had one of the craziest upperclassman progressions I've seen here in recent memory. He just was never physically gifted enough to play in the NBA.
 
Hilton went from a bit player to a lottery pick... Tristan has been great but that's not his reality.
 
Being drafted in the second round would be phenomenal for Tristen, and he just might be with his size and shot making ability. Realistically he’ll probably go the Adama/undrafted route since teams are in love with potential over proven players, plus the increased competition from the overseas pool of players.
 
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