Paschal Chuckwu Deciding Soon

[tzznandrew]

I never trashed Drummond, My point was he would have been a top pick without his one year at UConn, how is that trashing him? He is and will be a great player. I absolutely never trashed him or any other UConn player other than Thabeet. Actually I would be hard pressed to trash any other UConn player who got drafted. I honestly can't think of one who wasn't or didn't become a great player under Calhoun. Tate George is an absolute POS, but that is certainly not Calhoun's fault. The kid had all the same chances Kevin Ollie did.

We obviously will get the credit for Drummond, the way Texas gets it for Durant and Calipari gets it for everyone.

That said, we always complain about the way Calipari pretends he's great at developing kids by taking those who, were it not for the NBA's age limit, would have gone directly to the pros.

I think you want to point to Drummond and say "he enjoyed his time here!" not "come here and be Drummond." We point to Okafor, Boone, Armstrong, Villanueva, Thabeet, etc. as players who we, in some way, developed.

The reason a kid picks a college is complicated and unpredictable. We can moan all we want about someone like Chuckwu wanting to go to PC, and how stupid it was, but that's just not thinking. Other than local boy Chris Smith, why did so many kids pick UConn before they were "UConn"? I mean, other than the E8 run in 1990, we were a good regional team, with regional history. Yet we got Donny Marshall, Donyell Marshall, Kevin Ollie, Ray Allen, and a bunch of other top level recruits. And, I think we would say that, to outsiders, it seemed like a stupid decision. Yet for their lives (and ours, for that matter), it turned into a great choice.

We don't get Chuckwu (or AMA, or anyone else), we tip our hats, and know that we'll ultimately be okay despite.

 

[mauconnfan]

Drummond actually played at UConn, just spare me the development BS

Funny someone throw in Drummond mistakenly and yet that's the only one you answer to? Armstrong, Voskhul, Boone, Thabeet, Okafor???

Can't believe you actually used Otis Thorpe......lol

 

[pj]

If the kid wants to go to a Catholic school, it's pretty obvious Georgetown is the choice.

I though you said "Catholic school." If that's the aim, PC and St Joe's are fine choices. Best of luck to Pascal. UConn is fine with Nolan/Facey/Brimah holding down the fort and I hope he gets everything out of college he hopes for.

 

[seanmc94]

Not the point, but when you're comparing which program develops players for the NBA, its not even close. Why you would pretend otherwise or ask to "be spared the development" bs, you're deluding yourself into thinking that isn't or shouldn't be important to a higher profile recruit choosing a college. If a seven foot center goes to UConn chances are he will likely be developed into an NBA player. If he goes to providence chances are he will be really good at painting ceilings. Maybe Chukwu wants to paint ceilings for a living. There is nothing wrong that.

Painting ceilings? Herbert Hill, Marcus Douthit, Ryan Gomes, MarShon Brooks. All not exactly household names when they got to PC. All got drafted. Not to mention Kadeem Batts will get a look this year. PC can develop players. Don't pretend like UCONN is the only game in town.

 

[djct1999]

This banter back and forth with PC is exhausting. Seriously, comparing us to them is like comparing lou gehrig to ike davis, joe montana to mark sanchez, or dare i say, ray allen to ryan gomes.

 

[upstater]

I never trashed Drummond, My point was he would have been a top pick without his one year at UConn, how is that trashing him? He is and will be a great player. I absolutely never trashed him or any other UConn player other than Thabeet. Actually I would be hard pressed to trash any other UConn player who got drafted. I honestly can't think of one who wasn't or didn't become a great player under Calhoun. Tate George is an absolute POS, but that is certainly not Calhoun's fault. The kid had all the same chances Kevin Ollie did.

Whether he's being trashed or not, what is there to critique about Thabeet. The guy improved his game night and day while at UConn. Like Chukwu he had only 2 years of bball under his belt when he showed up at Uconn. In 3 years, he made amazing strides.

 

[upstater]

Painting ceilings? Herbert Hill, Marcus Douthit, Ryan Gomes, MarShon Brooks. All not exactly household names when they got to PC. All got drafted. Not to mention Kadeem Batts will get a look this year. PC can develop players. Don't pretend like UCONN is the only game in town.

Oh my god

 

[upstater]

We obviously will get the credit for Drummond, the way Texas gets it for Durant and Calipari gets it for everyone.

That said, we always complain about the way Calipari pretends he's great at developing kids by taking those who, were it not for the NBA's age limit, would have gone directly to the pros.

I think you want to point to Drummond and say "he enjoyed his time here!" not "come here and be Drummond." We point to Okafor, Boone, Armstrong, Villanueva, Thabeet, etc. as players who we, in some way, developed.

The reason a kid picks a college is complicated and unpredictable. We can moan all we want about someone like Chuckwu wanting to go to PC, and how stupid it was, but that's just not thinking. Other than local boy Chris Smith, why did so many kids pick UConn before they were "UConn"? I mean, other than the E8 run in 1990, we were a good regional team, with regional history. Yet we got Donny Marshall, Donyell Marshall, Kevin Ollie, Ray Allen, and a bunch of other top level recruits. And, I think we would say that, to outsiders, it seemed like a stupid decision. Yet for their lives (and ours, for that matter), it turned into a great choice.

We don't get Chuckwu (or AMA, or anyone else), we tip our hats, and know that we'll ultimately be okay despite.

I ebt you anything that Ollie talks about Drummond and kids like Lamb and Kemba Walker though because he was here for their development. Hobbs had a hand in others, but for the most part, our staff other than Hobbs only have 3 o 4 kids in the NBA (with Daniels and Napier about to join them).

 

[UChusky916]

 

[phillionaire]

Spare me that UConn developed Drummond. Obviously not referring to Okafor. JC turned him into a stud. Thabeet is was and always has been a stiff. Don't kill me for it, it's only my opinion. Yes, he is a rich stiff and I believe UConn has a lot to do with it.

Such a stiff that he effed around a got a triple double against providence

 

[djct1999]

Painting ceilings? Herbert Hill, Marcus Douthit, Ryan Gomes, MarShon Brooks. All not exactly household names when they got to PC. All got drafted. Not to mention Kadeem Batts will get a look this year. PC can develop players. Don't pretend like UCONN is the only game in town.

You aren't even UMass. And with URI and Bryant, you may be the third best team in your state in no time.

 

[FriarJ]

So your argument is that Thabeet is was and always will be a stiff? At the NBA level maybe, but he was a dominant big in college and not close to a stiff by his junior year. I'm not even sure stiff is the appropriate word for Thabeet at the NBA level. He is fairly athletic and mobile for his size, he's also not the greatest basketball player ever and has had some mental issues. He started as a very raw freshman and developed immensely because of JC and Blaney, but even they couldn't make up for 15 years of not playing the game. He is, was and always will be raw relative to other NBA players, a stiff conjurs someone far less athletic to my mind.

As for Chukwu, who knows where he will/would develop better. Thabeet should be his floor if he is developed properly, a more agile Hibbert his ceiling. Do you think PC gets him to his floor/ceiling, above/below if he goes there?

Drummond didnt devolop a ton at UConn but he did get better. His game was always more suited for the NBA though.

He seems like a stiff to me, but as I said if you told me he is doing great in the pro's then I would have to reconsider my stance, he just never seemed like all that in college. I will agree he became a better player under his time there so despite being a stiff, the staff made him better.

 

[FriarJ]

Such a stiff that he effed around a got a triple double against providence

good lord, did he really? I think that was the game that Sharaud Curry just kept taking it inside against him, and he just stood there like a giant tree.

 

[CTBasketball]

When a freshman big man averages 10, 8, and 3 I would think he is pretty good. Not a stiff.

 

[phillionaire]

good lord, did he really? I think that was the game that Sharaud Curry just kept taking it inside against him, and he just stood there like a giant tree.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/spor...all/bigeast/2009-01-31-uconn-providence_N.htm

 

[phillionaire]

good lord, did he really? I think that was the game that Sharaud Curry just kept taking it inside against him, and he just stood there like a giant tree.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/spor...all/bigeast/2009-01-31-uconn-providence_N.htm

 

[upstater]

He seems like a stiff to me, but as I said if you told me he is doing great in the pro's then I would have to reconsider my stance, he just never seemed like all that in college. I will agree he became a better player under his time there so despite being a stiff, the staff made him better.

This is really hard to believe. He was one of the biggest factors in all of the NCAA. Why do you think he was drafted second? Someone with his athleticism and mobility is rare, and he became a huge presence in UConn's Final 4 season (it could have even ended in a championship were it not for Jerome Dyson's ACL injury). It's hard for me to believe that you're dissing a 1st-team All-American and the National Defensive Player of the Year, never mind the BE.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

he just never seemed like all that in college.

If you want to knock Thabeet as a pro, go right ahead. But that's a pretty ignorant statement about his college career. He was the two-time National Defensive POY and the co-Big East Player of the Year as a junior. He also went to a final four and had triple-double against PC for good measure.

 

[tcf15]

If you want to knock Thabeet as a pro, go right ahead. But that's a pretty ignorant statement about his college career. He was the two-time National Defensive POY and the co-Big East Player of the Year as a junior. He also went to a final four and had triple-double against PC for good measure.

If Paschal Chukwu decides to go to Providence, they'd be ecstatic if he could reach the level that Thabeet did by his junior year. And if that happens, we can go ahead and call him a stiff, because that's what you do with players similar to Thabeet.

 

[UConNation]

good lord, did he really? I think that was the game that Sharaud Curry just kept taking it inside against him, and he just stood there like a giant tree.

You mean the game where Sharaud Curry "just kept taking it inside against him" and scored a whopping 5 points... in 35 minutes played? Oh by the way, 3 of those 5 points were from his 1 of 5 shooting from outside. Solid...

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=290310041

 

[upstater]

If Paschal Chukwu decides to go to Providence, they'd be ecstatic if he could reach the level that Thabeet did by his junior year. And if that happens, we can go ahead and call him a stiff, because that's what you do with players similar to Thabeet.

Apparently, expectations are higher than 1st team All-American, National Defensive Player of the Year, and #2 overall NBA draft choice.

 

[FriarJ]

If you want to knock Thabeet as a pro, go right ahead. But that's a pretty ignorant statement about his college career. He was the two-time National Defensive POY and the co-Big East Player of the Year as a junior. He also went to a final four and had triple-double against PC for good measure.

Fair enough, I exaggerated a tad. It's all good just an opinion, honestly like I said earlier I wished I had not brough this up in this thread. As you can see I have not partaken in any of the PC vs. UConn big men stuff in this thread, there is no comparison. I'm hoping someday there will be a comparison, right now there is not.

 

[ctchamps]

Fair enough, I exaggerated a tad. It's all good just an opinion, honestly like I said earlier I wished I had not brough this up in this thread. As you can see I have not partaken in any of the PC vs. UConn big men stuff in this thread, there is no comparison. I'm hoping someday there will be a comparison, right now there is not.

You were wrong about Thabeet. But I enjoy your posting even if stating it brings the wrath of some of my fellow Boneyarders. This thread is priceless. A lot of knowledge put forth by a lot of intelligent people. And it shows a wide range of human perspective, not just about the specific debating points, but how we approach subjects.

 

[noeynox]

This is really hard to believe. He was one of the biggest factors in all of the NCAA. Why do you think he was drafted second? Someone with his athleticism and mobility is rare, and he became a huge presence in UConn's Final 4 season (it could have even ended in a championship were it not for Jerome Dyson's ACL injury). It's hard for me to believe that you're dissing a 1st-team All-American and the National Defensive Player of the Year, never mind the BE.

Why? he is nothing compared to Marcus Douthit. Is he in the NBA, or currently painting ceilings?

 

[uconnell]

This is not even close to a true statement.

Travis signed a multi million deal with the Celtics when Rick Petrino was coach. He didn 't last long in the league but he is set for life. I used to see him around town a lot when he was dating a girl in the area. He has a fishing business in Costa Rica ( I believe).

 

[ctchamps]

Travis signed a multi million deal with the Celtics when Rick Petrino was coach. He didn 't last long in the league but he is set for life. I used to see him around town a lot when he was dating a girl in the area. He has a fishing business in Costa Rica ( I believe).

He was fine tuning the statement which upstater made. upstater said he made 8 figures/yr. He made 8 figures over the life of the contract. Just details. This group does insist on making sure things are correctly stated. "Your" welcome.

 

[uconnbill]

Andre Drummond is coming back to UCONN and taking classes in the summer, my guess is that Ledo won't be doing the same at PC anytime soon.

 

[noeynox]

Had Drummond gone to PC he'd likely be working for Sherwin Williams or ICI Deluxe or Devoe.

 

[FriarJ]

Had Drummond gone to PC he'd likely be working for Sherwin Williams or ICI Deluxe or Devoe.

like you

 

[superjohn]

Painting ceilings? Herbert Hill, Marcus Douthit, Ryan Gomes, MarShon Brooks. All not exactly household names when they got to PC. All got drafted. Not to mention Kadeem Batts will get a look this year. PC can develop players. Don't pretend like UCONN is the only game in town.

Hahahahahahaha.