Pascal Chukwu

[CallMeBruce]

As a Dad of late teens and early 20s, I have no problem with Ed Cooley's basic statement. LeDontae Henton is a good example. Find something that you are good at it and work at it. Switching schools, transfers, switching jobs ... I think there's always something to be said for a young kid to stick things out.

But ... if you are a foreign national in a homogenous Providence

#kidsthesedays

 

[CTBasketball]

I'm rooting for this kid to do big things since he went to my HS, at UCONN or not. I would be psyched to see him land at UVA or MSU. Couldn't go wrong with either. Seems pretty obvious he wants to go to a big state school. I'm guessing his host family initially pushed him towards the small Catholic schools.

When did you go to Prep?

 

[dennismenace]

So I don't normally do this because usually half the people who read it will just think it's nonsense BUT I have a source! One of Cooleys old staff members at Fairfield works with me now. He's still very connected to Cooley and chatted with him yesterday and he assured me UConn is very in the mix... What is that worth? Probably nothing....but it is just something I felt like reporting!

Looks like he has the physical potential to be another in the long line of great UConn shot blockers
and has "good hands" (rebounds!). If he has a teachable attitude he could be a monster recruit
in the "UConn NBA preparatory program".

 

[David 76]

We need a center that is eligible in 2016.

 

[Husky1964]

Talked to a PeeCee Junior a neighbor yesterday. FWIW he said the campus talk was that the Kid felt EC was too tough on him and his security blanket left for Alabama.

 

[upstater]

Talked to a PeeCee Junior a neighbor yesterday. FWIW he said the campus talk was that the Kid felt EC was too tough on him and his security blanket left for Alabama.

No offense, but that sounds like cliche #1 for any transfer. Can't handle the heat.

 

[Husky Dad]

Heard Kansas and another school were reached out to. This was way under way before official announcement including discussions on playing time. If this comes out or if this runs its course and he gets cold feet on mid west then UConn has a shot. Most likely Kansas deal has been set for a while.

 

[Yonick]

Outside of Duke & KY, Kansas probably has better access to top 25-30 kids than any other school.
I find it very hard to believe Kansas would risk a tampering charge for Pascal Chukwu. Yeah, he's over 7', but what has he shown for Kansas to risk a penalty over.
Sounds like a sour grapes rumor going on at PC.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I have no clue why this kid decided to move on from PC or what he is looking for at his next school (although exposure could play a large role). I do believe however that unless there is some guarantee that Brimah will enter next year's NBA draft regardless of anything, we have little to no shot at landing him.

 

[dennismenace]

I was told this evening Paschal will not be coming to UConn. I can confirm we did contact him and while Paschal likes coach ollie and the program he will be headed elsewhere. Currently his list is Kansas, MSU, Nebraska, UVA and Maryland. From what i was told UVA is a slight front-runner.

All focus should be on Larrier and rising seniors for 2016.

We shall see.

 

[UConn4ever]

He's going to take visits to Kansas, Virginia, Nebraska and Michigan State according to Rothstein

 

[djct1999]

Yep, Doug. Couldn't agree more.

Doug Gottlieb ‏@GottliebShow 4m4 minutes ago
Doug Gottlieb retweeted Jon Rothstein

I dont understand guy who transfers for more minutes wants to go “Up” a level.

Doug Gottlieb added,

Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein
Providence transfer Paschal Chukwu will visit Kansas + Nebraska in early June, source told @CBSSports. UVA and Michigan State are TBD. #pcbb

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Yep, Doug. Couldn't agree more.

Doug Gottlieb ‏@GottliebShow 4m4 minutes ago
Doug Gottlieb retweeted Jon Rothstein

I dont understand guy who transfers for more minutes wants to go “Up” a level.

Doug Gottlieb added,

Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein
Providence transfer Paschal Chukwu will visit Kansas + Nebraska in early June, source told @CBSSports. UVA and Michigan State are TBD. #pcbb

He would have gotten boat loads of playing time this year at PC.

 

[CTBasketball]

Excellent - an indirect jab at PC. I'm starting to like Gottlieb more and more, especially since he started paying taxes in this fine state.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Yep, Doug. Couldn't agree more.

Doug Gottlieb ‏@GottliebShow 4m4 minutes ago
Doug Gottlieb retweeted Jon Rothstein

I dont understand guy who transfers for more minutes wants to go “Up” a level.

Doug Gottlieb added,

Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein
Providence transfer Paschal Chukwu will visit Kansas + Nebraska in early June, source told @CBSSports. UVA and Michigan State are TBD. #pcbb

Was there ever actually confirmation that he said he was transferring for more playing time?

 

[HuskyFich]

Was there ever actually confirmation that he said he was transferring for more playing time?

Who in their right mind transfers for less playing time?

 

[Matrim55]

Who in their right mind transfers for less playing time?

RJ Evans and Lasan Kromah, to name two.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Who in their right mind transfers for less playing time?

There's plenty of examples included the two that Matrim55 listed below. What if he didn't like playing for Cooley, didn't like PC for some reason, or felt that even with less initial PT, another school gave him a better shot at making it to the NBA? Realistically, he'll probably be at least a rotational big man wherever he goes, with the potential to be much more so it's not like he's going to just sit on the bench all game.

 

[CallMeBruce]

RJ Evans and Lasan Kromah, to name two.

They didn't, but I think that's the point. Those are guys who weren't close to good enough for our level coming out of high school, but after four years of busting their butts, they were good enough to be rotation guys (and in Kromah's case, a part-time starter) for a brand name program. Though I don't think that's what Chukwu is looking for. I think he'll be able to play at any of those schools, and if he does, the rewards are much greater.

Another thing all those schools have in common is that they're all pretty far from New England. I wonder if he's just trying to get the hell out of dodge, which would explain why UConn didn't even get a look from him this time around.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

They didn't, but I think that's the point. Those are guys who weren't close to good enough for our level coming out of high school, but after four years of busting their butts, they were good enough to be rotation guys (and in Kromah's case, a part-time starter) for a brand name program. Though I don't think that's what Chukwu is looking for. I think he'll be able to play at any of those schools, and if he does, the rewards are much greater.

Another thing all those schools have in common is that they're all pretty far from New England. I wonder if he's just trying to get the hell out of dodge, which would explain why UConn didn't even get a look from him this time around.

Yeah, you can add Seth Curry to that list as well. Played a ton at Liberty his Freshman year and then took a significant cut in PT to transfer to Duke. It's a totally different world playing for PC and playing for Kansas or the likes.

 

[GoldCstHusky]

I was told this evening Paschal will not be coming to UConn. I can confirm we did contact him and while Paschal likes coach ollie and the program he will be headed elsewhere. Currently his list is Kansas, MSU, Nebraska, UVA and Maryland. From what i was told UVA is a slight front-runner.

All focus should be on Larrier and rising seniors for 2016.

We all know the most well-connected Yarders, but we don't get enough credit to more unheralded Yarders who build up a reliable track records. Those with inside info that pans out exactly right. Check out this post from @SirHypeAlot on Thursday, days before any CBB recruitment reporter mentioned anything about Paschal's visits or who he was most interested in. Dude was spot on. Looks like we have another source with some serious inside scoops and should celebrate another solid connection.

 

[8893]

I am sincerely sorry for whatever role my Chewbacca reference played in his decision.

 

[HuskyFich]

There's plenty of examples included the two that Matrim55 listed below. What if he didn't like playing for Cooley, didn't like PC for some reason, or felt that even with less initial PT, another school gave him a better shot at making it to the NBA? Realistically, he'll probably be at least a rotational big man wherever he goes, with the potential to be much more so it's not like he's going to just sit on the bench all game.

Chukwu isn't a grad student who has one last chance to make a title run or improve his potential draft stock last minute. He is targeting schools that will still recruit over him and he should know that. Not saying that any program won't try to constantly improve, but they will be targeting players who have much more potential. Plus the fact that he has to sit out a year hurts him in the recruiting process of these big time P5 schools. You are right, I also think that he will be a rotational big man wherever he goes, how can you not be at 7'2 with athleticism? But he could be a starter for a team that doesn't consistently bring in blue chippers that will be threatening his PT the second the ink hits the LOI.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Chukwu isn't a grad student who has one last chance to make a title run or improve his potential draft stock last minute. He is targeting schools that will still recruit over him and he should know that. Not saying that any program won't try to constantly improve, but they will be targeting players who have much more potential. Plus the fact that he has to sit out a year hurts him in the recruiting process of these big time P5 schools. You are right, I also think that he will be a rotational big man wherever he goes, how can you not be at 7'2 with athleticism? But he could be a starter for a team that doesn't consistently bring in blue chippers that will be threatening his PT the second the ink hits the LOI.

I'm not making the decision. Based on the schools he's mentioned with, he either doesn't care about the decreased playing times or believes his development will be better at one of the top programs and it will give him a better shot. My point was that these tweets are stupid because more playing time is quite obviously not the driving factor behind his transfer.