Rahsool Diggins transferring (merged threads)

[UChusky916]

Counterpoint:

If the head coach recruited two top 60 recruits who were completely unprepared to play in the Big East, he is failing at his job.

Other coaches recruited freshmen who could play in the Big East…and then played them in the Big East.

What’s wrong with our guy? Either he failed to develop these kids, failed to give them an opportunity or he failed in recruiting them.

Pick one.

Agreed.

I'm a staunch defender of Hurley. He's the guy for the foreseeable future. But that doesn't mean we can't fairly criticize his faults or errors.

Lately it feels like any criticism of Hurley ends up with downvotes. It's probably a reaction to the many posts that unfairly criticize Hurley. But objective criticism is fair game.

One way or another, Hurley messed this one up.
Either he was snakebitten by his stubborness/loyalty to Gaffney and should have played Diggins(fair to argue in retrospect)... or he failed to properly evaluate Diggins in recruiting.

Either way, he messed up somewhere, because we don't want to be in the position we're in now with literally no PGs.

And it's okay to admit he messed up. No one is perfect.

However, what's most important is how Hurley responds (short term and long term).

Long term: Will he improve at PG evaluation or outsource primary PG evaluation duties to an assistant?

Short term: He's got to find 2 BE starting caliber PGs in the portal... after ignoring transfers and preaching the UConn "family" the past year+.
Who knows, maybe he already has a quality transfer or two informally locked up and that's why Diggins is leaving... he sees the writing on the wall. If thats the case I'll gladly eat crow here.

At some point, you can be loyal to a fault, and I think that's the case here with Hurley and his player evaluations.
Let's see if he can learn from it.

 

[djct1999]

You can’t have it both ways.

Did Hurley make a mistake in recruiting Diggins or did he make a mistake in not playing him? Because we’re without an option at point guard right now which is a major, major problem.

This isn’t the first top-100 kid who hasn’t even made it to the end of the second semester.

We were without an option at PG with Diggins on the roster. What don't you get? Hurely offered a top 100 kid who didnt develop and showed the staff he couldn't handle high major basketball. It happens. The best thing for Diggins and for the program is to acknowledge this early and both move on. Its not even April yet. Luckily we have a staff who can recruit with the best of them. This announcement today is far from dire.

 

[JMick]

Agreed.

I'm a staunch defender of Hurley. He's the guy for the foreseeable future. But that doesn't mean we can't fairly criticize his faults or errors.

Lately it feels like any criticism of Hurley (fair or not) winds up with downvotes. It's probably a reaction to the many posts that unfairly criticize Hurley. But again, objective criticism is fair game.

One way or another, Hurley messed this one up.
Either he was snakebitten by his stubborness/loyalty to Gaffney and should have played Diggins(fair to argue in retrospect)... or he failed to properly evaluate Diggins in recruiting.

Either way, he messed up somewhere, because we don't want to be in the position we're in now with literally no PGs.

And it's okay to admit he messed up. No one is perfect.

However, what's most important is how Hurley responds (short term and long term).

Long term: Will he improve at PG evaluation or outsource primary PG evaluation duties to an assistant?

Short term: He's got to find 2 BE starting caliber PGs in the portal... after ignoring transfers and preaching the UConn "family" the past year+.

At some point, you can be loyal to a fault, and I think that's the case here with Hurley and his player evaluations.
Let's see if he can learn from it.

The reality is that he hasn't recruited a starting caliber PG yet out of HS. It's going into year 5. We should have multiple and we have zero.

 

[AntG168]

The reality is that he hasn't recruited a starting caliber PG yet out of HS. It's going into year 5. We should have multiple and we have zero.

THANK YOU

 

[Guapo]

it didn’t work out with a kid who was recruited during Covid season. It’s best for all parties to go their separate ways.

I can’t believe there’s 15 pages on this.

 

[Connecticut13]

We can go with Jackson, Hawkins, Floyd, Samson Johnson, and Sanogo and be fine but DH will be in a transfer PG and a CG CHAMP.

We would NOT be fine with that lineup.

 

[QDOG5]

UConn was one of the few teams that didn't bring anyone in or lose anyone to the portal this season. JC was a grad transfer. That is never going to happen again. UConn will have at least one player go to the portal every year as long as that rule is in place. That is the new reality. The upside of the portal for those who say DH can't recruit PGs is that he will have the chance to recruit PGs that have played against D1 competition.

 

[JB75]

Just not finding a way to get him minutes was such an absolute disaster.

Other schools had no issues playing freshmen who were not nearly as talented and we could not find a way to fit Diggins and Johnson in anywhere?

If you watched this team in November, you knew how they would lose in March if they did not do something to improve the offense. We did nothing and a scrub 12 seed flicked us because they had no trouble defending anything we did.

It’s funny because after me and my buddies were shocked about how Hurley wasn’t playing diggins at all after the thxsgiving tourney not even a sniff — we said well at least he’s gonna play him during scrub time in November and December and he continued to amaze us and still didn’t play him. I mean come on you got a find some room for your freshman point guard especially with what you invested in him and how we were short in that area. There’s no justification. I don’t care how bad he is

 

[8893]

Seems to me Diggins was recruited over. This did not catch the staff by surprise nor is it a real concern.

Who did we recruit over him?

 

[Fishy]

We were without an option at PG with Diggins on the roster. What don't you get? Hurely offered a top 100 kid who didnt develop and showed the staff he couldn't handle high major basketball. It happens. The best thing for Diggins and for the program is to acknowledge this early and both move on. Its not even April yet. Luckily we have a staff who can recruit with the best of them. This announcement today is far from dire.

“We have a staff who can recruit with the best of them.”

”We were without an option at PG with Diggins on the roster.”

These two sentences cannot exist in the same paragraph.

 

[djct1999]

“We have a staff who can recruit with the best of them.”

”We were without an option at PG with Diggins on the roster.”

These two sentences cannot exist in the same paragraph.

Some how they did and we will still be ok.

 

[Fishy]

It’s funny because after me and my buddies were shocked about how Hurley wasn’t playing diggins at all after the thxsgiving tourney not even a sniff — we said well at least he’s gonna play him during scrub time in November and December and he continued to amaze us and still didn’t play him. I mean come on you got a find some room for your freshman point guard especially with what you invested in him and how we were short in that area. There’s no justification. I don’t care how bad he is

This.

 

[navery12]

It’s funny because after me and my buddies were shocked about how Hurley wasn’t playing diggins at all after the thxsgiving tourney not even a sniff — we said well at least he’s gonna play him during scrub time in November and December and he continued to amaze us and still didn’t play him. I mean come on you got a find some room for your freshman point guard especially with what you invested in him and how we were short in that area. There’s no justification. I don’t care how bad he is

So if after watching him you decide he wasn't good enough to play you should double down and play him anyway? That's the opposite of what you should do

 

[djct1999]

It’s funny because after me and my buddies were shocked about how Hurley wasn’t playing diggins at all after the thxsgiving tourney not even a sniff — we said well at least he’s gonna play him during scrub time in November and December and he continued to amaze us and still didn’t play him. I mean come on you got a find some room for your freshman point guard especially with what you invested in him and how we were short in that area. There’s no justification. I don’t care how bad he is

Until you see how bad he is and then you care.

 

[BGesus4]

Who’s the point guard next year, champ?

I’m sure Diggins was recruited with the idea that he would get no minutes as a freshman and transfer out after the season.

So, again, who’s the point guard next year?

So, you’re feeling sad about next year’s point guard situation so all other freshman other than the ones Hurley recruits are always ready to play from the jump?

Hmm…

 

[HuskyHawk]

The reality is that he hasn't recruited a starting caliber PG yet out of HS. It's going into year 5. We should have multiple and we have zero.

It's a different era now folks. This is reality for a lot of teams now. Once the idiotic Covid super-seniors are gone it may calm down slightly. But the truth on the ground is:
1. There are now 5 years of eligibility worth of players across 3 classes. Fewer roster spots for freshmen and fewer minutes, especially at power programs.
2. Anybody can leave and go play elsewhere anytime they want
3. All those good players (like Cole) who develop at small schools are going to be scooped up and take the jobs of more highly recruited kids who don't show they have got it.

KU had a top 100 4* freshman PG who played 8 minutes. Longino for Villanova, SG #55 played 9 minutes.

 

[CL82]

To be fair, his high school coach is never going to say “Hurley thought he wasn’t good enough to play at UConn”

And Hurley is a “loyal“ guy in that he’s not chasing a kid off. E.g., Richie Springs.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Who did we recruit over him?

Castle and evidently, whoever we were trying to bring in at PG as a transfer. He had no realistic chance to ever start.

 

[BGesus4]

lol.

Sure.

GD, where do we find these morons?

Can’t help but picture comic book guy from the Simpsons behind these posts

 

[8893]

Castle and evidently, whoever we were trying to bring in at PG as a transfer. He had no realistic chance to ever start.

Castle is 2023, and the OP said Diggins was recruited over, which, to me, suggests someone we already signed for 2022. I don't think we have anyone else on the line yet, but perhaps he meant we hope to recruit over him with a transfer to be named.

 

[djct1999]

Are we talking junior Gaff or freshmen Diggins? One continued to get minutes with starters and performed horribly. Same player had arguably the worst statistical year in UCONN history and had his minutes cut for a SF. The other player barely played at all from around Christmas to end of the season. Same player was put in with the B squad for a few minutes each game at the beginning of the year and is judged more harshly.

Judged more harshly? Objectively, Gaffney was real bad. Diggins was worse. The fact that Diggins couldn't supplant Gaffney should tell you everything you need to know.

 

[djct1999]

Who did we recruit over him?

Let's wait and see before we hit the panic button.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Welp. Hope a 1st round exit was worth losing our Philly connection for.

 

[JB75]

So if after watching him you decide he wasn't good enough to play you should double down and play him anyway? That's the opposite of what you should do

Saw him play where? I saw him with my own eyes in live action about 10 mins total this season. Is it really out of the realm to possibly believe that Hurley had blind loyalty to gaffney and for whatever reason thought diggins was going ride the pine as a freshman and “pay his dues” and not be miffed about it? It got so ridiculous during some of the scrub December games we actually thought diggins was hurt or had a falling out with the coach. —-again it’s simple —the way Gaffney played in mid December how could you not at least give the kid a shot? Was Hurley afraid they were gonna lose to MD - eastern shore because diggins played over gaffney? Lolol- Plus , not a good look at all. Might Hurt that Philly connection The negatives for not playing him early on faaaarrr outweigh the positives. I refuse to believe diggins would of hurt us on the court that much more than gaff did —-No excuse for not giving him early run — None.

 

[8893]

Let's wait and see before we hit the panic button.

Who's hitting the panic button? You said it was no surprise because he was recruited over, and I was simply asking who you are saying we recruited over him.

I gather now that you were saying that we hope to recruit over him, which is something quite different.

Not a cause for panic in any event. I tempered my expectations for next season long before this.