Paul Biancardi: Who does UConn add?

[3uconn]

He's doing this mailbag thing answering recruiting questions and I asked him if he thinks UConn will add anyone else in 2014 and here's what he said:

Heading into this class, UConn needed one player at every position. The Huskies got Daniel Hamilton early and spent time with him all summer. They really wanted and invested a ton of time on Abdul-Malik Abu but missed and got Rakim Lubin, a three-star forward, instead. They pursued several point guards, including Josh Perkins and Jordan McLaughlin before getting Sam Cassell Jr. out of the junior college ranks. Underrated Canadian big man Ray Kasongo is still on the board. He has visited UConn and could be the big man the Huskies add. The Huskies could also go after another perimeter guy such as JaQuan Lyle. Rodney Purvis, the best player on the UConn roster, will not play this season after transferring from NC State and his athletic ability and attacking style will be a big addition next season. Purvis college experience should also benefit the Huskies and their influx of new talent in next years class.

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncb...l/post/_/id/6801/askcoachb-who-does-uconn-add

 

[3uconn]

I'm not sure he's caught up on the whole Kasongo saga and that UConn and Oregon both Kasongoed Kasongo after Kasongo Kasongoed UConn and Oregon.

 

[superjohn]

He also must not realize Shabazz is on our team. He says Purvis is the best player on our roster, I love me some Rodney Purvis but as of right now no way is he a better player than Shabazz and Deandre.

 

[tcf15]

Pretty sure he just looked at who is left on the "Considering" list for UConn and wrote the response around that even though Kasongo is pretty much out of the picture.

It's good to see he addressed the question, but I'd rather listen to someone who covers the UConn beat, like Amore, who says that UConn is done with 2014 recruiting unless someone special comes around (someone like Andre Drummond- so not likely), or some of the posters on here that follow UConn recruiting closely (like 3 & 99), than someone who only focuses on UConn only so much to answer a single question.

 

[aceboon]

he summed up what we already know and he's clearly out of the loop on Kasongo

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I'm a big fan of Rodney Purvis, but for Biancardi to suggest that he is the best player on our roster right now is nothing short of ignorant. We have a senior guard who basically doubled (or better) Purvis' production in every major category last season.

Add in the Kasongo mention, and it's pretty clear that this is yet another national college basketball writer who doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[Wise2]

He also must not realize Shabazz is on our team. He says Purvis is the best player on our roster, I love me some Rodney Purvis but as of right now no way is he a better player than Shabazz and Deandre.

I'm pretty sure he was referring to who will be the best in 2014

 

[aceboon]

I'm pretty sure he was referring to who will be the best in 2014

I doubt it, Purvis is on the roster now.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I'm pretty sure he was referring to who will be the best in 2014

I don't think so. The way that sentence is worded suggests he's talking about the current roster.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm a big fan of Rodney Purvis, but for Biancardi to suggest that he is the best player on our roster right now is nothing short of ignorant. We have a senior guard who basically doubled (or better) Purvis' production in every major category last season.

Add in the Kasongo mention, and it's pretty clear that this is yet another national college basketball writer who doesn't know what he's talking about.

He has a decent handle about things. It's just us Boneyarder Junkies are super informed regarding our Huskies. We're probably a whole lot more enlightened them him about bed bugs, hoses, ticks, Connecticut pizza joints, drummers, UConn women's bb team, and PC!

 

[Wise2]

I doubt it, Purvis is on the roster now.

Ok, tell me when he scores his first point this year.

 

[aceboon]

Ok, tell me when he scores his first point this year.

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/conn-m-baskbl-mtt.html

whether he can play this year or not(obviously not), he's on the roster. I'm not sure how someone can read what Biancardi wrote and not see that he is referring to the current group of players.

 

[Wise2]

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/conn-m-baskbl-mtt.html

whether he can play this year or not(obviously not), he's on the roster. I'm not sure how someone can read what Biancardi wrote and not see that he is referring to the current group of players.

Because Purvis is not the best player on the roster and he references next year 3 times when talking about Purvis. So, he saw one practice and proclaimed him the best on the roster. Shades of Billy Packer watching Ajou Ajou Deng

 

[tcf15]

I don't think Biancardi even knows who is leaving UConn's roster next year, so I think he was talking about this year. If anything, he looks at what roster is currently posted on ESPN and makes his proclamations based on that.

 

[aceboon]

Because Purvis is not the best player on the roster and he references next year 3 times when talking about Purvis. So, he saw one practice and proclaimed him the best on the roster. Shades of Billy Packer watching Ajou Ajou Deng

Of course he's not the best player on the roster, we know that, Biancardi does not. We don't even know what the roster will be in 2014 so to call him the best right today wouldn't be accurate either. What if DeAndre and Boat are back, it wouldn't be surprising if they are better as SRs.

 

[James]

Still perplexed how napiers great play last season has gone unnoticed. hoisting 6 threes a game and making 40% of them is rare. nobody did that, not even Burke.I need that guy from grantland to make him a shot chart.

 

[Dynasty]

So, in conclusion, we add no one?

 

[tcf15]

So, in conclusion, we add no one?

I think for the early signing period, which is on 11/13, we are done. If we do get involved with anyone else for 2014, it will probably be later in the spring when UConn has a better idea of who is returning and who is leaving, or if some can't miss prospects shake loose.

 

[ColoradoUCFan]

Still perplexed how napiers great play last season has gone unnoticed. hoisting 6 threes a game and making 40% of them is rare. nobody did that, not even Burke.I need that guy from grantland to make him a shot chart.

I know why it wasn't noticed. We were banned from post-season play! So, the national guys didn't pay attention to us when they had to start writing columns about who was going to make the field of 64

 

[UConNation]

As I'm typing this I'm debating whether or not I should even post this, but I just got lit up a few days ago for copying and pasting an ESPN Insider article onto the Boneyard... just curious as to why there's not a mention of that here. Really, nothing more than me being curious.

 

[3uconn]

As I'm typing this I'm debating whether or not I should even post this, but I just got lit up a few days ago for copying and pasting an ESPN Insider article onto the Boneyard... just curious as to why there's not a mention of that here. Really, nothing more than me being curious.

This is not an insider article. It's free for all to see.

 

[Dmike]

He also must not realize Shabazz is on our team. He says Purvis is the best player on our roster, I love me some Rodney Purvis but as of right now no way is he a better player than Shabazz and Deandre.

Paul Biancardi does not cover NCAA basketball, he covers NCAA recruiting, which are tied together, but definitely not the same. While we'll be watching college ball all winter, he'll be traveling around the country scouting recruits playing high school or prep ball for one singular purpose. Biancardi is developing the ESPN 100, 60 and 25 lists. His evaluation of that talent is all consuming and unlike Fishy, he's confined to five stars when rating and ranking recruits.

Point is, if you look at UConn's roster, the highest ranking recruit prior to entering the college ranks was Purvis. You could make an argument for Deandre, but he did prep school, and his recruiting process was non-traditional and eratic. Accordingly, Biancardi probably ranks college basketball players based more on the potential he saw when he was evaluating them in high school than their actual performance in the college ranks. So, for him to say that Purvis is the best player on UConn's roster likely has nothing to do with his performance in his one year at NC State and everything to do with his number on the 2012 ESPN 100 list two years ago, as well as the number of stars Biancardi himself probably set next to Purvis's name on that list. Life is about perspective and Biancardi's is looking through the lens of future potential, rather than actual performance.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Lets hope he's right and Purvis is the best. I'd be perfectly fine with him being better than Shabazz. Would really bode well for next year!

 

[8893]

Didn't JC say recently that Purvis was the best pro prospect on the team and that we will only get next season from him because he's a lock for the NBA after that?

 

[UCONNfan1]

I don't think Biancardi even knows who is leaving UConn's roster next year, so I think he was talking about this year. If anything, he looks at what roster is currently posted on ESPN and makes his proclamations based on that.

I don't think we know either!