Mamoudou Diarra update

[TRest]

We lost to Wagner, Northeastern and ECU last year. 3 of our returning players should be in the top 5 talent-wise in this conference. I expect we will be better by default.

 

[Horatio]

It's hard to say "Rock Bottom " with Jalen , Alterique, Larrier and Vital on the Team. The problem is filling the 9-12 spots with at least decent guys but we have til September. SMH

 

[Horatio]

I remember watching the Mcd's AA game a couple years back and one of the commentators asked the others which college coach they would most like to play for if they were a HS prospect. Jalen Rose was one of the commentators and his response was 'Kevin Ollie'. It's hard to believe we've gone from this to the current situation. Something else besides PT concerns must be going on here, I just wish I knew what it was.

I think it's multiple issues that led to this with a serious negative recruiting campaign and it all happened in one season.

 

[huskyharry]

It's hard to say "Rock Bottom " with Jalen , Alterique, Larrier and Vital on the Team. The problem is filling the 9-12 spots with at least decent guys but we have til September. SMH

No doubt, we have premium talent returning at the point and wing and good PG depth, but we desperately need a backup wing or two-guard who can shoot and a big who can rebound, make outlet passes, set effective screens, finish bunnies at the rim and play 20minutes per game without fouling out.

 

[Mots010]

Outrecruited by cincy and we have chillious, who I would assume had a pretty big head start on the competition.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

Chev... so you challenge me with a physical threat when I challenge you to produce proof? LMAO

Guys like you are all the same... full of crap and Hot Takes but when challenged to produce real evidence you think bullying is the best way to go. Suffice it to say, I am the wrong guy to do that with. But since I have no reason to fight you or anyone else over a debate on a message board...

Let's keep this on track with an... ACTUAL OFFERING OF PROOF by you. Seems like a simple and non-threatening request to me.

Get some rest

 

[kobe]

Wouldn't sweat it too much if he comes here if I were you guys. I have no idea if this kid is good. Basically no info out there on him.

 

[Fishy]

He's the typical spring scrub who looks better because there's nothing else out there.

But if you're going to recruit spring scrubs, it helps to actually land them.

Historical note - Eric Williams is the patron saint of spring scrubs. Kid couldn't play a lick, but in 1997, UConn, Syracuse, Arizona and UNLV went hammer and tongs over him from about April through August. His greatest talent was that he was 98.6 degrees and he was the absolute last person over 6'5" in the world who had not yet decided where to attend college.

(He went to Syracuse, flopped and then transferred to UMass where he flopped some more.)

 

[Chief00]

I think UConn is getting some hardcore negative recruiting thrown their way right now. And it's working wonderfully.

LOL. Of course, I have Mr. Jackson's twitter statements. And a season of game tape to show why Enoch and Durham didn't get more playing time. But hey -- you know what you know so more power to you.

I certainly did not say that we didn't have an institutional problem by the way. I find it bizarre that any time you disagree with someone throwing crap on the program about a particular point, that (to them) automatically means you think everything is fine.

BL you don't understand young Bigs, especially ones that have not had great Bigs coaching. They develop differently than guards. Enoch is going to be a good player and he is a huge loss. Don't go by last seasons statistics.

I can also tell you this defense centric recruiting strategy is doomed to failure, as we are seeing. Yeah, we all know defense is important winning games but kids today want to go to a school they think will make them an offensive star. The narrative needs to be spun where they can visualize themselves scoring points. This positionless stuff leaves one with a big blank impression. It needs to be more specific how you can score baskets.

 

[BUConn10]

BL you don't understand young Bigs, especially ones that have not had great Bigs coaching. They develop differently than guards. Enoch is going to be a good player and he is a huge loss. Don't go by last seasons statistics.

I can also tell you this defense centric recruiting strategy is doomed to failure, as we are seeing. Yeah, we all know defense is important winning games but kids today want to go to a school they think will make them an offensive star. The narrative needs to be spun where they can visualize themselves scoring points. This positionless stuff leaves one with a big blank impression. It needs to be more specific how you can score baskets.

Agree fully with the second paragraph.

 

[Chief00]

Nothing is a done deal until the kid is on campus, we have learned that lesson many times. If a kid was a done deal, the deal would be done.

I agree this done deal stuff on recruits needs to end. If they are really a done deal they commit. I said that for a year on Diallo but Coach Miller convinced everyone he knew best. It cost him his job.

 

[husky99]

Yep. The injuries are self-inflicted.

I agree with you one hundred percent. Things have not been running well. Things that should be done are not

 

[upstater]

Negative recruiting works because the coach is on the hot seat. Nothing more needs to be said. Easy to recruit against when you tell kids the people who recruited you won't even be there.

 

[Slasher]

We lost to Wagner, Northeastern and ECU last year. 3 of our returning players should be in the top 5 talent-wise in this conference. I expect we will be better by default.

Eh, I'm not too sure about this statement. WSU has some serious players. SMU may have Ojeleye coming back. Shake Milton. Then you have Evans, Clark, Cumberland, and Washington at Cincy. Josh Brown at Temple is really good.

 

[AntG168]

Eh, I'm not too sure about this statement. WSU has some serious players. SMU may have Ojeleye coming back. Shake Milton. Then you have Evans, Clark, Cumberland, and Washington at Cincy. Josh Brown at Temple is really good.

Jalen, rique, and terry should all compete for 1st and 2nd teams all conference. They have to for us to reach next yrs potential. Good News...theyre capable

 

[Slasher]

Jalen, rique, and terry should all compete for 1st and 2nd teams all conference. They have to for us to reach next yrs potential. Good News...theyre capable

Agreed they're all very capable. But outside of Jalen, they haven't proven everything. Lots of other guys have.

 

[AntG168]

Agreed they're all very capable. But outside of Jalen, they haven't proven everything. Lots of other guys have.

Very true

 

[boog204]

He's the typical spring scrub who looks better because there's nothing else out there.

But if you're going to recruit spring scrubs, it helps to actually land them.

Historical note - Eric Williams is the patron saint of spring scrubs. Kid couldn't play a lick, but in 1997, UConn, Syracuse, Arizona and UNLV went hammer and tongs over him from about April through August. His greatest talent was that he was 98.6 degrees and he was the absolute last person over 6'5" in the world who had not yet decided where to attend college.

(He went to Syracuse, flopped and then transferred to UMass where he flopped some more.)

Holy crap, I forgot all about Eric Williams. I remember watching him play against T-More when he was at Milford Academy.

 

[Hi-Low]

Other than being a "body" not really sure why Diarra is/was on our radar....wouldn't contribute much 2017-2018 season & may not be worth a 4 year commitment. The 2017 class adds at this point should only be "sure things" or transfers, not maybe's tying up schollies that will transfer in 1 or 2 years.

2018 is the class that KO & Chill should have laser focus on....they really need 3 very solid recruits in 2018 class.

 

[ARIDE]

Typical thread! Can never find what this site was meant for. I truly hope that some of you have jobs and families because its not the end of the world in Uconn nation...just for u..

 

[uconngb]

BL you don't understand young Bigs, especially ones that have not had great Bigs coaching. They develop differently than guards. Enoch is going to be a good player and he is a huge loss. Don't go by last seasons statistics.

I can also tell you this defense centric recruiting strategy is doomed to failure, as we are seeing. Yeah, we all know defense is important winning games but kids today want to go to a school they think will make them an offensive star. The narrative needs to be spun where they can visualize themselves scoring points. This positionless stuff leaves one with a big blank impression. It needs to be more specific how you can score baskets.

And that, my friends, is how you put a casual fan in his place.

 

[RipCity]

Typical thread! Can never find what this site was meant for. I truly hope that some of you have jobs and families because its not the end of the world in UConn nation...just for u..

Your hoping was all for nothing. None of us have jobs or families.

 

[pj]

Other than being a "body" not really sure why Diarra is/was on our radar....wouldn't contribute much 2017-2018 season & may not be worth a 4 year commitment. The 2017 class adds at this point should only be "sure things" or transfers not maybe's tying up schollies that will transfer in 1 or 2 years.

2018 is the class that KO & Chill should have laser focus on....they really need 3 very solid recruits in 2018 class.

We have to assume KO & Chill thought likewise, or they would have been more willing to tell Diarra something he wanted to hear. Maybe they think our Diarra is better at PF and the only place he would have added value is as a 5..

 

[businesslawyer]

BL you don't understand young Bigs, especially ones that have not had great Bigs coaching. They develop differently than guards. Enoch is going to be a good player and he is a huge loss. Don't go by last seasons statistics.

I can also tell you this defense centric recruiting strategy is doomed to failure, as we are seeing. Yeah, we all know defense is important winning games but kids today want to go to a school they think will make them an offensive star. The narrative needs to be spun where they can visualize themselves scoring points. This positionless stuff leaves one with a big blank impression. It needs to be more specific how you can score baskets.

On the first point, we do not have much of a disagreement. Enoch very well may turn out to be a good player. There are certainly plenty of bigs who provided their teams nothing for two or even three years, and then became really good in years 4 and/or 5. Given that Pitino wanted him, I would not at all be surprised if as a 5th year senior he becomes good. Which is why this was a loss of POTENTIAL. As I believe was the case even more with Durham. On the other hand, the point remains that replacing not their potential, but what they actually gave us on the court last year, only requires big bodies who are willing to be coached and play hard. Because they gave us close to nothing.

As to your second point, we will have to see. It's hard to blame this on "recruiting" per se, because the kids who have committed to KO on paper over the last three years have had enough potential to be really, really good. So it's not like we can't get talent to commit. However, the combination of players leaving early when they are not instantly stars, players committing and walking away and players self-destructing before they get there have, in combination, really knocked us down a bunch of pegs. Are these all different problems, and we've just had a run of drawing face cards when we hit on 12 after years of almost never busting? Or does it reflect on something KO is doing wrong, even if it's hard to put a finger on? I don't know yet. No one, being truly fair, really does. But to not recognize the possibility that there is a major flaw in KO that is causing this -- whether it's the one you are presupposing or something else -- would also be foolish. We have to fill out the roster for next year and win as many games as that roster (and health) allow us to, but then KO needs to show -- and relatively quickly -- that he can not just get commits from good players but then get and keep them here in sufficient numbers to meet our standards.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

-So when we had a chance at him a few weeks ago, he's our number 1 priority, everyone seemed to be all excited about this kid.

-Now that we aren't getting him, it doesn't matter, because he would just be another body and the staff should focus on filling scholarships for 2018.

Weird how that works on The Boneyard...

I, for one, was really hoping this kid could come here, and am really disappointed if it's true that the staff was recruiting him as a "5". Seemed like he flew under the radar, and could be a really nice stretch big guy. I don't think he's "just another body". But then again, what do I know.