Has Ollie Soured on Grad Transfers??

[AntG168]

We haven't really been linked with any grad transfers yet this off-season. I wonder if Ollie has soured on that model after it didn't work the way he thought it would this year

 

[EricLA]

Just my $.02 which isn't worth much...

It would seem to me that they would be a great gap filler, and we certainly needed some gaps filled the past few years. But as recruiting has evened out, I would think it's more important to look for kids who fit what KO wants to do, who are quality individuals, and of course, who are really talented.

I would think a grad transfer is similar to a kid who you really believe will be a 1 and done. You don't know what they are really going to give you, how they will fit in with the team, and you really don't want to need to rely on them too much (unless you are Kentucky). And you only have them for 1 year which makes it tough to get them to break bad habits and get on board exactly with what KO is trying to accomplish.

UCONN already has some great kids coming in next year including the transfer, and hopefully these kids can be relied on for at least a couple years. FWIW, I thought Miller was great. And he's what I was referring to when I mentioned "filling in the gaps". He was better than any other option at the 4 and had some great moments for UCONN. Hopefully he enjoyed his time.

 

[gtcam]

The grads have proven, in the past, to be a valuable cog/missing piece on an established team.
As much as I appreciate what SM and SG brought to the team - to have both start and to be thought of as vital parts of an inexperienced team was way too much.
I have no problem with one grad filling in but this past year was way too much
I'd rather cultivate freshmen

 

[djct1999]

A lot has to do with talent. Who was really available that would have made an impact?

 

[rip7774]

I really suspect we look that way if we don't land vital and Thompson. These kids are really strong talents to be available this late, as I said before, kudos to the staff for getting them on campus. They both would play a ton as freshman!

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Also last year the grad transfer market was alot better IMO.

 

[Inyatkin]

Have Boneyard posters been known to jump to conclusions?

 

[tcf15]

No, we were linked with Katin Reinhardt.

 

[80shusky]

I would think you have to be careful with the grad transfer market in that you are usually looking for a player to come in, get maybe starters minutes and contribute right away. If you continually bring in grad transfers who are going to start or play starters minutes the younger true freshmen coming in might be dissuaded to sign because they might think that their own opportunity to get minutes would suffer as a result. Enoch for example likely would have played a lot more without Miller here. And Jalen certainly more without Gibbs. KO might be looking to build a young team with his already strong recruiting class coming in, add a couple more like Taurean, Vitale and Alpha, and have six or seven kids to develop into a young strong team. It may make things interesting during the beginning of the season with a lot of freshman getting minutes and making freshman mistakes. But it could also be very exciting as your class kids progress from 16-17 to 17-18 and some more young talent comes in. That is when he can really start building a succession plan with young talented players coming in to take the place of your waves of players who are developing more experience and moving on as upperclassmen. I am really looking forward to how all this will play out especially if we can add a couple more freshman to our already strong recruiting class of 2016. I'd really like to see Enoch develop into a beast in the post this coming season.

 

[AntG168]

No, we were linked with Katin Reinhardt.

Forgot about him. But yea just a thought

 

[tentoes4rings]

The grads have proven, in the past, to be a valuable cog/missing piece on an established team.
As much as I appreciate what SM and SG brought to the team - to have both start and to be thought of as vital parts of an inexperienced team was way too much.
I have no problem with one grad filling in but this past year was way too much
I'd rather cultivate freshmen

I completely agree. Relying on two in the starting five is a big risk from a chemistry standpoint, especially when one is a PG. I suspect we won't see that again, as recruiting as improved considerably and KO will be able to have his own 2-4 year guys on board.

 

[Rocktheworld]

We haven't really been linked with any grad transfers yet this off-season. I wonder if Ollie has soured on that model after it didn't work the way he thought it would this year

The season ended literally two weeks ago.

 

[JMick]

Grad transfers are great when you're missing one piece from being a contender, but I personally don't thin it's the way you build a program. We don't win the AAC tournament or get to the R32 without Shonn this year, but it also meant Enoch didn't get as much playtime as he probably should have. It's a stop gap to fill a need, but when you have a talented roster coming up they all need to play as much as possible, even if it means a less than stellar year 1

 

[champs99and04]

To me, the idea that grad transfers pose problems to chemistry, cohesiveness, etc. was used as a crutch by some on this board to explain the team not meeting their potential last season.

The turnover rate in college basketball is at an all-time high. Certainly, it helps enormously when you can keep the same core together for 2-3 years, but there are coaches who routinely start from scratch and still manage to produce perennially good teams.

If there were a 2016 equivalent of Gibbs or Miller, we'd be crazy not to pursue it as an option.

 

[Rocktheworld]

To me, the idea that grad transfers pose problems to chemistry, cohesiveness, etc. was used as a crutch by some on this board to explain the team not meeting their potential last season.

The turnover rate in college basketball is at an all-time high. Certainly, it helps enormously when you can keep the same core together for 2-3 years, but there are coaches who routinely start from scratch and still manage to produce perennially good teams.

If there were a 2016 equivalent of Gibbs or Miller, we'd be crazy not to pursue it as an option.

I get your point but what teams got past the round of 32 with transfers taking 30% of the team's minutes?

 

[intlzncster]

Have Boneyard posters been known to jump to conclusions?

 

[champs99and04]

I get your point but what teams got past the round of 32 with transfers taking 30% of the team's minutes?

It's tough to say because the rule hasn't been around very long (at least to my knowledge). Louisville is an example of a team comprised of grad transfers that could have done some damage in March had they not been banned.

I would agree that, generally speaking, it's best to build a program with high school kids. I do think it's a case-by-case basis, though, and if you're at the point where there are grad transfers available that are better than the high school kids you recruited, you should pursue them.

 

[Ts5034]

Lasan Kromah averaged 6 points and 2 rebounds. He was a good shooter, he hustled, and he could handle the ball. I would take a grad transfer like him every season.

 

[mauconnfan]

Lasan Kromah averaged 6 points and 2 rebounds. He was a good shooter, he hustled, and he could handle the ball. I would take a grad transfer like him every season.

He was a tremendous piece for a national championship team. It would have been nice if Shonn and Sterling were pieces but instead they were 2/5ths of the starters and were expected to do a lot more than LK. It's been said before, it has to be very difficult for both the existing coaches and the players who come into a new program, the players after 3 years elsewhere with another style, and fit in expected to lead a team of players who have been here to titles. I still love the idea of grad transfers but they need to be a "piece" rather than a savior I think.

 

[Hankster]

Just my $.02 which isn't worth much...

It would seem to me that they would be a great gap filler, and we certainly needed some gaps filled the past few years. But as recruiting has evened out, I would think it's more important to look for kids who fit what KO wants to do, who are quality individuals, and of course, who are really talented.

I would think a grad transfer is similar to a kid who you really believe will be a 1 and done. You don't know what they are really going to give you, how they will fit in with the team, and you really don't want to need to rely on them too much (unless you are Kentucky). And you only have them for 1 year which makes it tough to get them to break bad habits and get on board exactly with what KO is trying to accomplish.

UCONN already has some great kids coming in next year including the transfer, and hopefully these kids can be relied on for at least a couple years. FWIW, I thought Miller was great. And he's what I was referring to when I mentioned "filling in the gaps". He was better than any other option at the 4 and had some great moments for UCONN. Hopefully he enjoyed his time.

Your $.02 is worth it to me. I agree 100%. Build it and they will come. Let's get some flow with our kids. Instead of a transfer having to work his butt off to gel, get a kid who can contribute to building. With DHam gone, and others testing the waters, this next year will be a tough one. Next season I was looking forward for another Conference Title and and a deep run at the dance. Hey, anything could happen. However I am banking on the year after. Patience.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I get your point but what teams got past the round of 32 with transfers taking 30% of the team's minutes?

Iowa State, 41%.

 

[UConnStats]

I find it pretty ridiculous that instead of accepting that the team had no true point guard with experience, we blame our offensive troubles on chemistry problems caused by grad transfers.

 

[Leebo]

I don't see how Shonn Miller (or Gibbs) being a grad transfer magically makes him a chemistry problem when he could have had a similar impact by being a 5 star freshman... both types of players could put up similar numbers and both would be new to the team.

 

[uconngb]

I don't see how Shonn Miller (or Gibbs) being a grad transfer magically makes him a chemistry problem when he could have had a similar impact by being a 5 star freshman... both types of players could put up similar numbers and both would be new to the team.

Yeah, I agree....the chemistry thing is overplayed. There may have been a chemistry problem, but it's not because they were grad transfers. As others have pointed out, it's no different than a freshman coming in and getting playing time....he's also new to the team, right?

 

[rip7774]

I think adding one who fills a specific role is usually the way to go, as has been said here many times. The poor recruiting classes due to APR sort of forced picking up 2 strong players this year. I don't think our struggles were largely a chemistry issue but more just not enough creators as is often said ad nauseum here.

Gibbs at the 2 all year would have been a player perceived totally different, he was a solid pickup, miscast as a PG most of the year and Shonn was our best player most of the year. Kromah/Evans were great glue guys the years we had them. I think of grad transfers more as role guys than the stars as they sorta had to be this past year.

Also, I think the cancellation of Vann's trip might mean we have our eyes on a grad transfer like last year when Gibbs was likely in the fold pretty early even though it didn't become public for a while. (I'm assuming the staff feels great about TT and Vital).