Nowell in the transfer portal

[UCan3]

I agree. I just have no expectation to consistently get the Cooper Flaggs of the world. It’s so rare and we probably aren’t going to be one of the few schools paying many millions of dollars for that kind of player. This Duke team would be lousy without Flagg.

Our stars will need to be portal guys sometimes because even 5 stars can’t carry a team most of the time. Look how good Castle was, still he was nothing compared to Flagg.

One thing with all these discusssion is how much reform is needed in college basketball. Since we’ve done so well recently it’s hard to point this out but here’s the deal…

1) You’ve got billionaire donors now prompting teams up and injecting unheard of $$ into programs. St. John’s was essentailly a billionaire’s club team this year.
2) You’ve got Football $ now being funneled into BB making this Super Teams from the SEC.
3) And now we’ve got student athletes / less students, but employees / free agents just trying to get as much $$ as what most consider now contract employment.
4) None of what I‘ve written is all that insightful or new but College Basketball without reform is headed (or already there) as unrecognizable to what it was 10 years ago and will only get worse over time.

So I’ll continue to watch but anyone getting bent over a player leaving just needs to get over it. It is what it is and many of these kids will never see the opportunity to make this kind of $ again in their lifetime.

 

[RuffRuff]

I assumed Hurley wasn't giving playing time to kids based strictly on ability to contribute, but it makes sense based on his comments about 50% of the team considering transferring, that he didn't see the benefit of playing them vs giving more time to guys he felt would be here. I hadn't considered that point before. If Nowell's camp had him out the door months ago, why suffer growing pains playing him unless the situation made it necessary.

Not sure Hurley wants a camp around that goes to SM far too often to air out grievances either.

 

[Deepster]

I'm not sure if I should quote the Dalai Lama, "Until you have the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, external facilities and conditions will never bring the joy and happiness you seek" or Buzz Lightyear, "You are a sad, strange little man, and I pity you."

You have your panties all knotted up over a 3rd string PG. Did they have to up your meds when those turncoats Castle and Clingan left last year? Or Hawkins, Sanogo, and Jackson before them? After all, they are just paid athletes that wanted to get paid more and go somewhere else.

I don’t need your dime store psychoanalysis. And I don’t need to wish some kid I don’t know some phony “best of luck” on a message board he’ll never read.

 

[Deepster]

I'm not sure if I should quote the Dalai Lama, "Until you have the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, external facilities and conditions will never bring the joy and happiness you seek" or Buzz Lightyear, "You are a sad, strange little man, and I pity you."

You have your panties all knotted up over a 3rd string PG. Did they have to up your meds when those turncoats Castle and Clingan left last year? Or Hawkins, Sanogo, and Jackson before them? After all, they are just paid athletes that wanted to get paid more and go somewhere else.

Question for you. Say he transfers to St John’s and knocks us out of the final four next season with 26 pts, 8 assists and 4 steals? You gonna say “Hey! Good for him! Best wishes the rest of the way!”?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Part of the living in the past crew. Need to start putting some sort of medallion on profiles of those who always refer back to old UConn teams as examples of what to do in the future. Shall we also use antenna TV sets too?

We have a new coach, a new system, it’s the portal era, it’s the day and age of analytics. Please for gods sake stop bringing up old UConn teams and Kemba/Shabazz as templates of the future. We don’t play iso ball offense anymore.

What of superfluous excess conveyed by exaggerated hyperbole?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

...it’s hard to point this out but here’s the deal…

...anyone getting bent over a player leaving just needs to get over it.

So many ways that posters want to control my perceptions, emotions, and behaviors. How do I decide who's right? Who should I obey?

 

[FlexOnEm]

Welp.

Turning last year’s recruiting class into zero sophomores isn’t ideal

Very true. We’re approaching a time where it makes no sense to recruit non-5 star recruits because guys aren’t willing to sit anymore. Unless it’s a recruit like Castle or McNeeley, if they’re just going to sit on the bench for a year and then bounce, what’s the point?

 

[RuffRuff]

What of superfluous excess conveyed by exaggerated hyperbole?

My man Hans!! How yeah been amigo? I enjoy when you call out my posts with too much hyperbole just as much as you must enjoy when I call out yours being a toilet bowl. Love you.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

My man Hans!! How yeah been amigo? I enjoy when you call out my posts with too much hyperbole just as much as you must enjoy when I call out yours being a toilet bowl. Love you.

Always be closing.

 

[DCHuskyFan]

Very true. We’re approaching a time where it makes no sense to recruit non-5 star recruits because guys aren’t willing to sit anymore. Unless it’s a recruit like Castle or McNeeley, if they’re just going to sit on the bench for a year and then bounce, what’s the point?

So of our 4 new incoming recruits, the staff (and we) will likely know who will be transferring by the start of conference play? Cynical view, but accurate. Had we not won two NCs in a row, going for the 3-peat, we may have lost some additional players to the portal last year.

 

[RuffRuff]

MarianoAlways be closing.

 

[FlexOnEm]

So of our 4 new incoming recruits, the staff (and we) will likely know who will be transferring by the start of conference play? Cynical view, but accurate. Had we not won two NCs in a row, going for the 3-peat, we may have lost some additional players to the portal last year.

Of our 4 incoming recruits, 3 are McDonald’s All-American who will almost certainly play meaningful minutes as freshman. So I don’t have a concern about them jumping ship after one season.

Guys like Diggins, Floyd, Abraham, Nowell…the staff puts in the time and effort to recruit them here. They take up a scholarship. They spend a year using our program’s resources and developing under our staff. Then when they don’t play starter minutes as a freshman, they jump ship. Why continue to recruit guys like that? Not everything is catered towards freshman. Whatever happened to player development?

 

[upstater]

Part of the living in the past crew. Need to start putting some sort of medallion on profiles of those who always refer back to old UConn teams as examples of what to do in the future. Shall we also use antenna TV sets too?

We have a new coach, a new system, it’s the portal era, it’s the day and age of analytics. Please for gods sake stop bringing up old UConn teams and Kemba/Shabazz as templates of the future. We don’t play iso ball offense anymore.

But... under this new coach and system we saw some players develop and succeed. Sanogo, Andre Jackson, Samson, even Diarra had 3 years here. Andre, granted, played in about half the games as a freshman, but he was frequently on the bench, scored 2 pts a game, but you could see the development.

 

[Stew Crew]

I don’t need your dime store psychoanalysis. And I don’t need to wish some kid I don’t know some phony “best of luck” on a message board he’ll never read.

You're right. You need some serious professional help. So you can hope a kid you don't know fails, but can't wish him good luck?

 

[Ewekon]

Mahaney, very late in the season, got better. A could be scenario imho

 

[Stew Crew]

Question for you. Say he transfers to St John’s and knocks us out of the final four next season with 26 pts, 8 assists and 4 steals? You gonna say “Hey! Good for him! Best wishes the rest of the way!”?

I'd be sad of UConn but wouldn't hold any grudge. He wasn't getting the opportunity he expected here. If he finds it somewhere else, Salute!

You must really hate Clingan and Castle. They abandoned us and it cost us a legitimate chance at a 3-peat.

 

[RuffRuff]

But... under this new coach and system we saw some players develop and succeed. Sanogo, Andre Jackson, Samson, even Diarra had 3 years here. Andre, granted, played in about half the games as a freshman, but he was frequently on the bench, scored 2 pts a game, but you could see the development.

I’m not as opposed reviewing a working template under the current staff that is only 2 years old. This looking back to the Calhoun era 15 years ago is ridiculous. Things are changing fast - better approach is what works for this staff and for other top teams, now.

A small PG could work if quick with amazing instincts but a big one is a better fit for this system, and it’s not debatable.

 

[ctbro1999]

I don’t need your dime store psychoanalysis. And I don’t need to wish some kid I don’t know some phony “best of luck” on a message board he’ll never read.

Be less mad at life, bro.

 

[HooperScooper]

Crazy how 7 of the top 8 guards on this list were instant impact players. 3 of them are top players on teams still in the tourney currently.

Texas Tech also has a freshman guard ranked outside of the top 100 who is 5’11 and one of their best players.

2024 Industry Top Basketball Point Guard Recruits

A list of the top 2024 Basketball recruits based off of a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all 3 major recruiting media services, including Rivals.

www.on3.com

I was wondering why Nowell wasn't on this list and then I looked up the On3 2024 rankings and they had him as a shooting guard, which I thought was kind of strange. I guess they weren't sold on his lead guard skills.

Ahmad Nowell - VCU Rams - Shooting Guard

Explore Ahmad Nowell's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.

www.on3.com

 

[JoeyBuckets]

Maui really messed things up for us this year.

 

[RuffRuff]

I was wondering where Nowell was and then I looked up On3 2024 rankings and they had him as a shooting guard, which is strange. I guess they weren't sold on his lead guard skills.

Ahmad Nowell - VCU Rams - Shooting Guard

Explore Ahmad Nowell's athlete profile at On3.com. Get news and insights into his playing career, statistics, and achievements in sports.

www.on3.com

247 who I like much more, has him a CG. Doesn’t mean much - feels like they took a flyer on a kid outside their archetype because he was tough, and it just didnt work out.

Ahmad Nowell, Connecticut Huskies, Combo Guard

Ahmad Nowell is a combo-guard from Germantown, TN.

247sports.com

 

[Chin Diesel]

I don’t need your dime store psychoanalysis. And I don’t need to wish some kid I don’t know some phony “best of luck” on a message board he’ll never read.

Deepster = Larry David

 

[Deepster]

You're right. You need some serious professional help. So you can hope a kid you don't know fails, but can't wish him good luck?

I never said I hope he fails. I really don’t care what happens to him from this point. But you can continue to analyze and put words in my mouth if it makes you feel smart.

 

[Son of Robert]

Mahaney is not going anywhere. Veteran guard, 3pt% on the higher side, can get his own shot, played much better to close out the season, has a whole summer session to get stronger and carve out his role. In a late season interview replying to a follow-up question on whether he considered Storrs his new home, "Absolutely".

 

[Deepster]

Deepster = Larry David

Exactly

 

[Deepster]

Be less mad at life, bro.

Be less contrived and phony, bro.

 

[alphasigko]

Clearly not surprising. Wish him the best wherever he winds up (hopefully not another NBE team)

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Deepster = Larry David

No need for dime store psychoanalysis, no need to wish a transfer well in a forum where it won't be read, and yet, some perceived need to post almost a dozen times in this thread to tell us he doesn't really care.

Maybe he's gearing up to announce that he's leaving this thread.
Maybe - like some guy said earlier in this thread - he is just a cranky jerk.
Bless his heart.

 

[bendm]

Moving forward, I'd love to see Mahaney stick around next season as a veteran shooter/secondary distributor alongside our talented freshmen and hopefully a shiny new PG from the portal.

If we are confident in Adams as our backup PG then yeah I’d be very happy with Mahaney as backup CG. Otherwise we need to recruit a backup PG which could slide Adam’s to the backup CG spot.

 

[Eric K]

2nd yr for transfers in the Hurley system seem to be where they take huge leaps. Cam and Joey C the exception, but Cole, Martin, Newton, Diarra were all much better in year 2. Expect Mahaney jump to be big.