OT - Hamidou Diallo testing Draft Waters

[AntG168]

First round draft pick. Late probably , and will most likely see some run in the dleague. But I don't think derrick jones is better than him and he started a bunch of games for the tanking Suns.

A team like the knicks would absolutely take a chance on him bottom of the first round

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

"My game has grown so much at UK"

 

[ctchamps]

You all do realize that for all the hand-wringing and suicidal thoughts that were thrown about on this board for the last 3 months since his commitment to Kentucky... not to mention the literal castigation some of you wanted of both Glen Miller and Kevin Ollie for losing out to Calipari on him - this latest part of his plan being set in motion proves that getting him to commit here would have been a net negative. A BIG net negative. And that once Kentucky offered him a scholarship there was almost zero chance he was coming here.

Fleudslipcon, let me start this by saying you are one of the most consistently rational people on here - in fact you just made a great point on the "Enoch Commits to Louisville" thread that everyone's premature speculation on Steve's new career at Louisville is just that, wild speculation.

So I am disappointed to see you join the ranks of the speculators and the know-it-alls (who know nothing) when it comes to Hamidou Diallo. How can you or anyone else now honestly speculate that Hami Diallo's decision had anything to do with how our season was going or ended up by the end of this year?

Sorry, but this one is easy - he is proving he does NOT want to have to play in college at all before getting drafted, as Methodology points out. He is betting that some team will be stupid enough to take him in the first round - a.k.a. GUARANTEED MONEY, without having to step on a court in college. Ok, he is a great athlete with some basketball skills. But his game will get totally exposed if he actually plays at this level. He is obviously scared sh$!less of that exact thing happening. There is no school in college basketball today that provides a vehicle for this exact type of plan to be executed better than Kentucky.

The fact is that he was picking Kentucky even if we were 11-0 and in the top 10 going into that Auburn game that he attended. Saying "He didn't want to be part of a sinking ship" is a total disconnect from the reality of what his plan has been all along, and which school could help him the best to execute that plan.

I wish Hami nothing but the best - but this proves that not only would he not have been some great player here... he would have been a DISASTER for us. Think Andre Drummond's one year, but significantly worse. At least Andre tried to fit into the team concept. Hami is proving he wants nothing to do with putting any team over his own desires. Didn't we have enough of that with the cast on hand already this year? And how exactly would he have made this year's team better, other than providing another warm body? A ME FIRST guy whose biggest weakness (has no jump shot) was also one of our two biggest weaknesses as a team. Other than a few highlight dunks, we would have all been complaining about his crappy outside shooting, his lousy defense (got called out for that at PSA on at least one occasion) and his perceived dis-interest at playing team first basketball.

And now we would be dealing with him putting his name in for the draft? Just another huge distraction for this team that needs no more of them. Frankly, I am mystified by some of the false narratives that posters put on here and then stick to as if their lives depended upon it. Sorry Fleudslipcon, I should not be calling you out because as I said, unlike some posters on here you actually make sense and offer well-thought out opinions most of the time. I am really surprised you think having Diallo on the team this year would have been good for us - and that he picked Kentucky because of the bad year we were having.

Here is one thing that should make practically everyone on this board happy - it looks like he is doing a masterful job of using Calipari and Kentucky without giving them anything in return. The "master" is getting used and abused. Funny how no one has pointed to that aspect of this story yet.

First of all thanks for the complement about rationality. To be clear however I'm making a deliberate choice of looking at things in multiple ways and sometimes I'm allowing myself to be "stupid", or irrational, or angry, or silly, or a counterweight. So my habit of the past, to stay above the fray, has changed because I've decided to allow myself the some guilty pleasures that are derived from acting like an idiot.

As to the post you've made a reference to, it was, imo, a rational post that I chose not to explore all the possibilities but offered up a singular possibility.

You're scenario is a plausible scenario and if events played out the way you describe them it could have been even more devastating to the program than what is already taking place. To sum it up, if hypothetically Diallo came to UConn, played meh or poorly, the season ends the same as without him, he declares for the draft and gets rejected and then transfers that would have been the worst case scenario by far. However, if he came, did well, the season ends up still being dismal, he enters the draft, goes first round, that scenario would mitigate a lot of the negativity currently surrounding the program. And of course if he came to UConn, lord knows we needed bodies that were not the walking dead, and the season ended up with at least an NIT bid and a long run or an NCAA bid, he enters the draft and goes first round, that scenario would have been the best possible. As much as I want to hate on Diallo for any possibility in his role of screwing UConn, I can't let my hate miss this or any other possibilities.

Even if I wanted to stay above the fray, and make posts like the one you observed on Steve, or hopefully this particular post, I would choose as I did in the past to limit the over view type posts that would touch on all the possibilities for two reasons. First is that most people reject lectures. Second is people learn better by exploring possibilities on their own. Currently we are in a very charged environment so rational debate is limited. In better times you would see these very intelligent people, and believe me, these argumentative souls who are currently acting immaturely imo, are very bright and have offered insights to discussions in the past with the sum total of all the posts in those threads ended up covering the topic in its entirety without much if any charge. I felt those threads were special. They were the NC's of the Boneyard history.

You could call me out all you want. I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to and I don't want or need to stop anyone. One of the challenges I set for myself, but certainly not the primary, is knowing that when I act stupidly people are more likely to call me out and frequently not as politely as you have done. It's predictable. The challenge for me is to see if I can avoid taking angry reactions personally. I'm not setting out to do this. It's a natural reaction when one chooses not to predicate and deliberate on a topic and one engages with others in the charged tactics they apply.

The only people we can fix is ourselves. I don't have any illusions now or in the past that I can fix anyone other than myself. I absolutely know I can't fix KO or the players given that I don't have any contact with them. When people in this forum insist we should join a position about circumstances or how we should fix things with the program, I can't decide whether I should laugh or cry about the absurdity that takes place over a meaningless endeavor. That is to say I know it is not meaningless to the people engaged in this process, but expressing opinions that don't create any change to the issue those expressions are targeting is an act of futilely outside the value of venting. But venting ends if people are stuck in obsessing on things they can't control. So I present my point, try to limit my arguing unless I choose to make it a sport, and move on.

However with regards to my fellow Boneyarders, and yes I consider this forum, excuse the gender ladies, a Brotherhood, I do have contact with, and if any of my attempts to prod people to start introspecting as opposed to making the world change to accommodate their less than perfect approaches to life, I've served a purpose. But as I've mentioned above, I've taken a step back from constantly doing it because I owe myself something I've deliberately chosen to avoid in the past. Which I'm sure has and will confuse people.

 

[August_West]

This has always been his end game. Have a feeling his stock was taking a hit playing as his weaknesses were being exposed. I think what happened was UConn wanted to him to enroll and play and he didn't want to play so he could hide and not get exposed more at the college level.

Cal probably sold him that he could enroll and not play and just practice against all his blue chippers so he wouldn't have to worry about hurting his stock and thus he became a wildcat where if circumstances were different he might have been a husky

This would make sense except for the fact there are more nba scouts at Kentucky practices than uconn games. If there is exposure to be had it can happen at practice too.

 

[Jerry1714]

A team like the knicks would absolutely take a chance on him bottom of the first round

He is projected 14th and 22nd in two mocks in 2018. Entering the draft a year younger will only help him. 2017 is a deeper class so I would bet he goes around the late teens early 20s.

 

[Matrim55]

A team like the knicks would absolutely take a chance on him bottom of the first round

Nets – they have a couple of picks in the 20s and need to swing for the fences for lottery talent.

 

[intlzncster]

So I am disappointed to see you join the ranks of the speculators and the know-it-alls (who know nothing) when it comes to Hamidou Diallo. How can you or anyone else now honestly speculate that Hami Diallo's decision had anything to do with how our season was going or ended up by the end of this year?......
The fact is that he was picking Kentucky even if we were 11-0 and in the top 10 going into that Auburn game that he attended. Saying "He didn't want to be part of a sinking ship" is a total disconnect from the reality of what his plan has been all along, and which school could help him the best to execute that plan.

You rip fleud for speculating, and then go and do the same thing.

Think Andre Drummond's one year, but significantly worse. At least Andre tried to fit into the team concept. Hami is proving he wants nothing to do with putting any team over his own desires. Didn't we have enough of that with the cast on hand already this year? And how exactly would he have made this year's team better, other than providing another warm body? A ME FIRST guy whose biggest weakness (has no jump shot) was also one of our two biggest weaknesses as a team. Other than a few highlight dunks, we would have all been complaining about his crappy outside shooting, his lousy defense (got called out for that at PSA on at least one occasion) and his perceived dis-interest at playing team first basketball.

Drummond was a net positive for us as far as brand goes. Number 2 recruit came to UCONN. And he's one of the few studs keeping UCONN's name alive in the NBA right now.

 

[Rocktheworld]

First of all thanks for the complement about rationality. To be clear however I'm making a deliberate choice of looking at things in multiple ways and sometimes I'm allowing myself to be "stupid", or irrational, or angry, or silly, or a counterweight. So my habit of the past, to stay above the fray, has changed because I've decided to allow myself the some guilty pleasures that are derived from acting like an idiot.

As to the post you've made a reference to, it was, imo, a rational post that I chose not to explore all the possibilities but offered up a singular possibility.

You're scenario is a plausible scenario and if events played out the way you describe them it could have been even more devastating to the program than what is already taking place. To sum it up, if hypothetically Diallo came to UConn, played meh or poorly, the season ends the same as without him, he declares for the draft and gets rejected and then transfers that would have been the worst case scenario by far. However, if he came, did well, the season ends up still being dismal, he enters the draft, goes first round, that scenario would mitigate a lot of the negativity currently surrounding the program. And of course if he came to UConn, lord knows we needed bodies that were not the walking dead, and the season ended up with at least an NIT bid and a long run or an NCAA bid, he enters the draft and goes first round, that scenario would have been the best possible. As much as I want to hate on Diallo for any possibility in his role of screwing UConn, I can't let my hate miss this or any other possibilities.

Even if I wanted to stay above the fray, and make posts like the one you observed on Steve, or hopefully this particular post, I would choose as I did in the past to limit the over view type posts that would touch on all the possibilities for two reasons. First is that most people reject lectures. Second is people learn better by exploring possibilities on their own. Currently we are in a very charged environment so rational debate is limited. In better times you would see these very intelligent people, and believe me, these argumentative souls who are currently acting immaturely imo, are very bright and have offered insights to discussions in the past with the sum total of all the posts in those threads ended up covering the topic in its entirety without much if any charge. I felt those threads were special. They were the NC's of the Boneyard history.

You could call me out all you want. I couldn't stop you even if I wanted to and I don't want or need to stop anyone. One of the challenges I set for myself, but certainly not the primary, is knowing that when I act stupidly people are more likely to call me out and frequently not as politely as you have done. It's predictable. The challenge for me is to see if I can avoid taking angry reactions personally. I'm not setting out to do this. It's a natural reaction when one chooses not to predicate and deliberate on a topic and one engages with others in the charged tactics they apply.

The only people we can fix is ourselves. I don't have any illusions now or in the past that I can fix anyone other than myself. I absolutely know I can't fix KO or the players given that I don't have any contact with them. When people in this forum insist we should join a position about circumstances or how we should fix things with the program, I can't decide whether I should laugh or cry about the absurdity that takes place over a meaningless endeavor. That is to say I know it is not meaningless to the people engaged in this process, but expressing opinions that don't create any change to the issue those expressions are targeting is an act of futilely outside the value of venting. But venting ends if people are stuck in obsessing on things they can't control. So I present my point, try to limit my arguing unless I choose to make it a sport, and move on.

However with regards to my fellow Boneyarders, and yes I consider this forum, excuse the gender ladies, a Brotherhood, I do have contact with, and if any of my attempts to prod people to start introspecting as opposed to making the world change to accommodate their less than perfect approaches to life, I've served a purpose. But as I've mentioned above, I've taken a step back from constantly doing it because I owe myself something I've deliberately chosen to avoid in the past. Which I'm sure has and will confuse people.

I am grossly uncomfortable with this conversation being conducted in the fashion in which it is currently unfolding. I don't think either of you has insulted the other's intelligence once.

 

[ctchamps]

I am grossly uncomfortable with this conversation being conducted in the fashion in which it is currently unfolding. I don't think either of you has insulted the other's intelligence once.

Eat crow you vegan!

 

[intlzncster]

Eat crow you vegan!

Woulda been better if you went with "eat a dick you vegan". But that's not really your style.

 

[UCweCONN]

Posters that say "I wish him nothing but the best." make me want to vomit. I want him to crash and burn (not literally of course...... ).

 

[Fishy]

I am grossly uncomfortable with this conversation being conducted in the fashion in which it is currently unfolding. I don't think either of you has insulted the other's intelligence once.

You were able to follow that exchange?

 

[jcp33]

Posters that say "I wish him nothing but the best." make me want to vomit. I want him to crash and burn (not literally of course. ).

Agreed, the game he played with the staff, players, and the university during his recruitment was absolutey attrocious. What goes around comes around and karma can be a huugeeeeeeeee bitch, we'll look back on him one day and laugh that we ever gave this kid any amount of time.
If you couldn't already tell I'm still very salty about this whole thing.

 

[LStudfellow]

Well played, per usual, Fleudslipcon. As I stated, your rationality combined with your introspection is much appreciated.

The way this particular situation is playing out though... Hamidou and his handlers have exposed themselves for what their plan was all along. And I do not hold that against him or them. He has every right to take the path he believes gives him the best chance to get a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract, whether we all feel it does or does not serve his best interests long term (or UConn's interest in the immediate term). I am also not coming from a place of anger or hate, saying he "screwed us". Could he have been more honest? Yes. But we are talking about an 18 year-old kid here who has stated on multiple occasions that his goal is to play in the NBA. He is definitely following what he believes to be the path of least resistance to reaching that stated goal.

The truth is that we did not lose Hamidou because either Kevin Ollie or Glen Miller are not good enough recruiters. Once Calipari offered him a scholly, he was going to Calipari. Not because Calipari will always beat us for every recruit (most he will, but not all). But because he will almost always beat us for this type of recruit with the goals and mindset that Hami has. Go read his statement that was used to start this thread. He spells it out.

Here is a very plausible scenario for you: we emphasized to Hami his ability to be a star here for the next several years and then go as a potential lottery pick. Calipari sold him on his well-established "Succeed and Proceed" program. Knowing what we know now, which one was he choosing? Honestly, we had practically zero chance with THIS particular player once Calipari offered him, and showed him his plan for getting him to the NBA as soon as possible. Kevin Ollie was not getting him, Glen Miller was not getting him and frankly neither would have Jim Calhoun.

 

[Inyatkin]

If he stays in the draft, do we still count this as a big swing and a miss by Ollie, or Miller? I understand we put a lot of effort into his recruitment, but it's not like we'd be losing him to someone else.

 

[intlzncster]

Posters that say "I wish him nothing but the best." make me want to vomit. I want him to crash and burn (not literally of course. ).

I reserve most (read: all) of my dislike for Cal and the whole system. Diallo's a kid trying to maximize his chance to make money. Can't fault him much, if we don't know to what extent he was telling UCONN he was coming. It wouldn't be the first time that staff got caught off guard.

 

[intlzncster]

If he stays in the draft, do we still count this as a big swing and a miss by Ollie, or Miller? I understand we put a lot of effort into his recruitment, but it's not like we'd be losing him to someone else.

I don't even count it as a swing and miss at all, despite posters' protestations to the opposite. Where Ollie and Glen did fail, was reading the writing on the wall. The extent to which they were 'out of touch' is worrisome.

 

[nyhuskies13]

This entire thing is about exposure. Hamidou couldn't afford to play college ball during the regular season and give teams 10-15 game films of the inefficiencies in his game.

But he also knew there's no shot he gets drafted out of Putnam Science given the lack of exposure with Scouts.

So he decides to showcase his talents in Kentucky practices against players likely moving at 75-80% speed. Allows him to show out and develop a reputation as a player.

Its a little cowardice... why wouldnt you want to go out and prove yourself against the best. Think its a character flaw and red flag...

Cant wait til he finally gets exposed

 

[nyhuskies13]

Except Lenny Cooke went undrafted and Diallo will be a fringe lottery pick. But other than that you nailed it!

you using your Jerry Crystal Ball with that assessment? Who says he goes lottery?? And even if he does, lottery + out of the league in 3yrs would be cooke-esque.

the comparison is more about attitude and approach. if im one of the best players in the draft, im not hiding on a practice court. id be out there busting my butt when it mattered to showcase my skill, flaws and all.

 

[pj]

Yes, a team would be crazy to give him guaranteed money. Draft him in the 2nd round, make him prove himself on the court.

 

[Jerry1714]

you using your Jerry Crystal Ball with that assessment? Who says he goes lottery?? And even if he does, lottery + out of the league in 3yrs would be cooke-esque.

the comparison is more about attitude and approach. if im one of the best players in the draft, im not hiding on a practice court. id be out there busting my butt when it mattered to showcase my skill, flaws and all.

No I am using mock drafts. Try them. Or use the internet: ""He'd be a first-round pick if he stays in [the draft]," an NBA scout told CBS Sports on Sunday."

Your comment about attitude and approach is laughable (almost as laughable as him being out of the league in 3 years). He is draft eligible, but you think he has a bad attitude because he does not want to go to UK and play for free and go to school for a year over making millions of dollars? No its called hes not an idiot.

Cooke never played in an NBA game. Just stop with this comparison its horrible.

 

[nyhuskies13]

No I am using mock drafts. Try them.

Your comment about attitude and approach is laughable (almost as laughable as him being out of the league in 3 years). He is draft eligible, but you think he has a bad attitude because he does not want to go to UK and play for free and go to school for a year over making millions of dollars? No its called hes not an idiot.

Cooke never played in an NBA game. Just stop with this comparison its horrible.

Yea, because Mock Drafts are always so accurate... and because being a "fringe lottery" selection is always so indicative of future success.

How can you disageee with his actions this year being a reflection of his attitude and approach? he was eligible this year but instead of playing, he hid at Putnam for the first semester and then at a UK practice facility

All because his handlers and him knew he had a better shot of being initially drafted if he wasn't exposed. he wasted a key year of major development and a great opportunity so he could sit on a bench.

It might help his draft position right now, but it won't help in the long run. ill take the kid who wants to play, and shows a work ethic and attitude to want to get better - his own coach alluded to that. you can draft the guy hiding in the locker room based on some mock draft

 

[intlzncster]

He's basically like a slightly shorter Gerald Green (who went 18) coming out no? Or is that a bad comparison?

 

[AntG168]

If he stays in the draft, do we still count this as a big swing and a miss by Ollie, or Miller? I understand we put a lot of effort into his recruitment, but it's not like we'd be losing him to someone else.

Yes because of the other guys we lost because of it

 

[nyhuskies13]

No I am using mock drafts. Try them. Or use the internet: ""He'd be a first-round pick if he stays in [the draft]," an NBA scout told CBS Sports on Sunday."

Since you edited the above and used a quote to strengthen your argument... here's one for you from the last person to coach him in an organized basketball game just a few months ago

“Hami had a lot going on, and typical Hamidou, he didn’t show up for all of the games. He’s still growing as a person and, at times, he wasn’t mentally tough enough in games. He struggled,” Espinosa said.

He often got into foul trouble and even had a run-in with Espinosa that resulted in him being benched.

Given the circumstances, Diallo’s decision to go to Kentucky, rather than finish the year in Putnam, is best for everyone involved.

“He was not coming mentally prepared every day because he had so much going on, that started to get to me because it started to affect the team. I’m not going to miss that part. It wasn’t fun.” Espinosa said. “I think it was time for Hamidou to move on. If he decided to come back, it wasn’t going to be good. He could have been thinking I should have gone to Kentucky or UConn. What am I doing here? I think it probably would have been a battle for him every day to come in focused and mentally ready.”

Sounds like a great locker room guy... True leader