2022 Recruiting: Nahiem Alleyne commits to UConn!

[dennismenace]

Virginia Tech’s Nahiem Alleyne transfers to UConn

Virginia Tech’s Nahiem Alleyne, a 6-foot-4 guard who can shoot, is transferring to the...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[CL82]

They’re obviously not done yet, but they prioritized their targets, got them on campus, and are two for two. They were not part of Nahiem’s initial wave of contacts. I think some players see through the programs that reach out to anyone and everyone. They put in the work and sold him on their program and how they go about doing things. Now, onto the next one.

Dan and the staff’s ability to close and the people they prioritize has been very impressive.

 

[CL82]

Chief sees AJax as more of a point forward than a point guard. We need him close to the basket on both defense and offense, so that he can rebound. He’s at least our second best rebounder, if not our best.
I see Andre taking the rebound and turning up court with the ball but not as our primary ball handler. LOL - the head coach currently may have other thoughts but that’s how it will be I think when the dust settles.

Jackson’s rebounding doesn’t seem to be due to him being in the paint and boxing out so much as due to his vision, speed and hops. It often seems like he comes out of nowhere and grabs the rebound.

 

[Huskybass]

I would expect at least 5. Sanogo, Newton, and Hawkins are guaranteed to be double digit guys. Jackson will make the leap, and Alleyne should get there too.

I have no idea what to expect from Karaban and Johnson, points wise. Probably like 4PPG from Karaban and 6PPG from Johnson?

If we land Rudi or Castle, I think they sniff double digits too. So I predict we will have 5 double digit PPG guys, with a possibility of 6 depending on who that guard spot goes to

I would love to agree with you, but under Hurley I just can't see that many points being scored on average. 4 guys who average double digits combined with great D and rebounding would make for a very successful season.

 

[dennismenace]

Ramy/Rudi want to be # 1 or #2 options on their next teams.. Not gonna happen at UConn. Too much talent here already.. If they want to be complimentary pieces to a Tournament team that goes deep.. Different story..

Leave the ego on the doorstep

If the rotation continues on the short side you're right. If we really got into a running game (a possibility with some of these players) we will need more than two off the bench.

 

[BGesus4]

If we're talking about journalists/college basketball guys we love/hate. Does anyone else get the feeling that we all love John Fanta now and 10+ years from now we'll all hate him?

Well, I thought that clip on why you shouldn’t say NIL or the portal is killing college basketball was absurdly stupid

 

[aburks41]

Well, I thought that clip on why you shouldn’t say NIL or the portal is killing college basketball was absurdly stupid

Yeah the portal and NIL are good for the players, doesn’t mean it’s good for the sport. Does anyone really like the idea of mass free agency every year because the richest programs have donors willing to buy players? Whether or not we end up on the right side or the wrong side of that fence, it’s going to be annoying

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Yeah the portal and NIL are good for the players, doesn’t mean it’s good for the sport. Does anyone really like the idea of mass free agency every year because the richest programs have donors willing to buy players? Whether or not we end up on the right side or the wrong side of that fence, it’s going to be annoying

I tend to weight the annoyance of fans less than the benefit of the players. But it will be annoying.

 

[Waquoit]

A lot of those "sky is falling" posts from a couple of weeks ago really aging like milk right now.

Agreed, not that they didn't smell at the time.

 

[imno1]

Karaban is much better than people realize. I expect him to be a key piece next year

He‘s @Ricker certified

 

[HuskyHawk]

He’s young and pretty enthusiastic. Seems like a good guy to me.

Yeah, my takeaway is that he's trying harder. He's not just mailing it in like most of the old guard.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Yeah the portal and NIL are good for the players, doesn’t mean it’s good for the sport. Does anyone really like the idea of mass free agency every year because the richest programs have donors willing to buy players? Whether or not we end up on the right side or the wrong side of that fence, it’s going to be annoying

NIL: good for the players.

Immediate transfer eligibility: good and bad for players. Good for the tip-top high programs and likely good for the top-50 programs overall but some kids will totally regret using the portal.

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah the portal and NIL are good for the players, doesn’t mean it’s good for the sport.

It's great for the sport. It's a more efficient way to redistribute talent then what came before. Which in turn should lead to more good teams.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Alleyne at the 1? idk about that. newton, castle, and aj are the ball handlers.

with sanogo commanding 30 mpg and trying to find some minutes for Clingan, samson will have to get most of his minutes at the 4. and if aj is starting at the 4 then that would push karaban to the 3. the only issue with starting a small ball lineup is that our bigs really get squeezed.

Not so literal. I just mean that Alleyne would spell any of the guys at the 1-3 and someone else would slide to PG when Newton sits.

Yes, our bigs would get squeezed in a small lineup. I am OK with that. Small lineups are usually better, certainly on offense.

 

[Get a Job]

He’s the Red Panda of announcers right now - you have to pretend to love him even if you don’t.

I can take or leave most of these guys, but I do appreciate that he’l show up and put the same kind of enthusiasm into a UConn-Providence softball game that he would with a UConn-Providence basketball game.

I am comfortable saying that I don't care for Red Panda.

 

[AD DB Burner]

I am comfortable saying that I don't care for Red Panda.

Once you’ve seen her once, you don’t need to see her again.

 

[CL82]

If we're talking about journalists/college basketball guys we love/hate. Does anyone else get the feeling that we all love John Fanta now and 10+ years from now we'll all hate him?

I don’t. He’s such a quirky guy, but he is absolutely committed to his job. He’s living the dream. I don’t see him burning out and phoning it in. In fact, I think it’s more likely that he will pick up national gigs.

I don’t think his act will get old, because it’s not an act.

 

[Chief00]

Jackson’s rebounding doesn’t seem to be due to him being in the paint and boxing out so much as due to his vision, speed and hops. It often seems like he comes out of nowhere and grabs the rebound.

True, but he can’t get those rebounds even doing all that, covering a guard beyond the 3 point line on the top of the key. But, he can cheat playing off of on a poor man’s stretch 4 in the corner and get the weak side rebound.
In my mind we have only 2 prolific college rebounders - Sanogo and Jackson. The next guy believe it or not, may be Springs. That’s the distance between them and everyone else.
I am in the minority here, but I think we need a rebounder, athletic, physical guy from the portal in addition to the guards.

 

[CL82]

I am comfortable saying that I don't care for Red Panda.

Flying bowls and unicycles….What’s not to like?

 

[superjohn]

Well, I thought that clip on why you shouldn’t say NIL or the portal is killing college basketball was absurdly stupid

That video was brutal. It's something you would expect to see someone on the boneyard post from their living room, it should be beneath a major up and comer who covers the sport for a living.

 

[Chief00]

Karaban is much better than people realize. I expect him to be a key piece next year

I agree, he’s a shooter of a caliber we have not seen at UConn in awhile. He just needs to feel comfortable in that role and have his teammates look for him at the right times. That’s one defense I have for Tyler, that did not always happen when he was open.

 

[nomar]

Yeah I kept believing even with the Mass exodus. Trust in Hurley he knows what he is doing here. I do.

Yeah, I'm pretty happy to stand on my posting record from the past few weeks, which basically boiled down to: Maybe wait until the staff is done with this process before going apoplectic?

But, hey, this forum exists in large part to provide a place for people to express their frustration, and it was very frustrating to see a bunch of guys walk out, Floyd in particular. So I'm giving everyone some slack.

 

[Dean Wormer]

It's great for the sport. It's a more efficient way to redistribute talent then what came before. Which in turn should lead to more good teams.

Can’t agree that it’s great for the sport because every offseason becomes a crapshoot. Will he or won’t he, and where?
Maybe the best thing about it though is that it’ll force coaches to actually coach. All the preseason polls are more irrelevant now than ever, because coaches are starting from scratch every single year.
Good teams with young players, will disappear overnight. If they’re at a smaller school and have a chance to go major, they’re bolting. And who can blame them?
More than ever, the good coaches will get even stronger while the lesser ones will probably fade if they can’t get their teams in gear fast enough. That part I do like.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[bballerct50]

Very Nice Add.

More work to be done. We lost Cole, Martin, Whaley, Polley, Akok, Diggins, CFJ, Gaffney

We have added Newton (to replace Cole), Alleyne (to replace Polley), Karaban (to replace Whaley?)

While we should expect improvement from the existing team members, we still need more talent to replace all that we lost and be better than last year's team. By my math, at least another serviceable PG/SG and SF/PF. And then a few developmental pieces.

Any chance we steal some Nova players? Haven't seen any news on any departures from them yet but I'd assume there will be some as soon as the would heals a bit.