Rahsool Diggins transferring (merged threads)

[Jimdish255]

People need to realize we are in a new age. 1700 kids entered the portal last year (I think that's the stat). Instant transferring has changed everything. If Diggins thinks he can get more PT elsewhere, he owes it to himself to look. Hurley has done nothing to show he won't play deserving freshman, back to his URI days even. The reality is Diggins didn't earn minutes last year. Maybe Hurley made it clear that without a huge leap in confidence/ability, he wasn't going to be able to earn minutes this year either. Regardless, this isn't on Hurley. Just like we will reap the benefits of the transfers, we and every other team will be hit by them.
Also, do we really live in this fantasy land where people thought we were going to go after a high end PG transfer AND keep Sool and Floyd? You can't have both of those because there simply isn't enough minutes to go around. So either we were going into next year with Sool and Floyd and banking on significant improvements or we were losing one and gaining a transfer. 99% of you sign up for that transfer every day of the week

The one who needed to realize this was our Coach who struck out in the off season last year.

 

[cap10dingus]

Too many posts here to keep up with but I think what we are seeing has to be something the team, players and coaches, have seen in practice. With Gaff and Diggins leaving when we have a wide open PG battle and a all conference PG leaving, showing that a good player will get rewarded in our offense. I think the most logical answer here is one nobody is considering. There is someone on the roster who we have not seen and has passed these boys in practice. Corey Floyd Jr has to be looking good IMO. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't know that this is necessarily bad news and I have more trust in our seasoned coaching staff then to think they would let this happen without better options or a plan. These boys knew they weren't getting playing time next year....there are only a few real reasons that could be.

 

[USNavyDog]

Too many posts here to keep up with but I think what we are seeing has to be something the team, players and coaches, have seen in practice. With Gaff and Diggins leaving when we have a wide open PG battle and a all conference PG leaving, showing that a good player will get rewarded in our offense. I think the most logical answer here is one nobody is considering. There is someone on the roster who we have not seen and has passed these boys in practice. Corey Floyd Jr has to be looking good IMO. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't know that this is necessarily bad news and I have more trust in our seasoned coaching staff then to think they would let this happen without better options or a plan. These boys knew they weren't getting playing time next year....there are only a few real reasons that could be.

Corey Floyd Jr. is a shooting guard, but maybe the coaching staff saw that he has really good leadership abilities and skill sets required to be a point guard. That could be.

 

[USNavyDog]

Hmm, I just saw an interview of Corey Floyd and he carries himself well. Maybe if he does show he can be a great point guard and pair him with Jordan Hawkins, than our guard situation might be better than we think it it.

CF Jr. and JH as the point guard and shooting guard, respectively, could be an awesome backcourt duo for next year that nobody expects to be.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Too many posts here to keep up with but I think what we are seeing has to be something the team, players and coaches, have seen in practice. With Gaff and Diggins leaving when we have a wide open PG battle and a all conference PG leaving, showing that a good player will get rewarded in our offense. I think the most logical answer here is one nobody is considering. There is someone on the roster who we have not seen and has passed these boys in practice. Corey Floyd Jr has to be looking good IMO. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't know that this is necessarily bad news and I have more trust in our seasoned coaching staff then to think they would let this happen without better options or a plan. These boys knew they weren't getting playing time next year....there are only a few real reasons that could be.

Agree. My assessment is that Floyd (though young) is a player that has the "it" factor. When you consider his dad's legacy and what he showed as a soph and junior in high school and his AAU showings with elite players around him (he played with two of the top 5-10 players in the country and looked totally in place with them even though he was a year or more younger).

I'm confident the staff would have made it clear to Gaffney and Diggins that they weren't going to get lots of PT next year. I'm also confident they were 95%+ confident that the near future was going to be driven by portal transfers (one or two back-courters), Floyd, Hawkins, Jackson, and Castle (maybe before summer of 2023).

 

[HooperScooper]

I'm confident the staff would have made it clear to Gaffney and Diggins that they weren't going to get lots of PT next year. I'm also confident they were 95%+ confident that the near future was going to be driven by portal transfers (one or two back-courters), Floyd, Hawkins, Jackson, and Castle (maybe before summer of 2023).

I don't think a coach ever says to his players that they won't play. He probably frames it by saying here's what you need to do, here's what I need from you, if you want to get more playing time. I'm sure Hurley didn't want either to transfer so he would never say you're not going to play and force them out.

 

[Dogdeacon]

This. All the rest is just excuses. He wore AJ down to nothing by the end of the season and we'll never know what Diggins could have contributed.

Hurley can’t be both blindly loyal to Gaff and reducing his minutes as he did. Maybe stubbornly thought Gaffney would emerge, but blindly loyal is projecting an emotional element that is not consistent with PT facts. I’m fine saying Hurley incorrectly chose a limited upside present over long term development, but I think that simply came from trying to win every game and coach the current team to its best outcome each night. So never taking the long view is supported by facts of early season minutes (namely almost none for Diggins) and then come later season Hurley was stuck again to only pick best short term solution (he’d hoped for near term improvement from Gaffney but ultimately had no choice but to cut Gafs minutes to have best chance to win each game) and result was long term for both was self sabotaged.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I don't think a coach ever says to his players that they won't play. He probably frames it by saying here's what you need to do, here's what I need from you, if you want to get more playing time. I'm sure Hurley didn't want either to transfer so he would never say you're not going to play and force them out.

Re-read what I said - I didn't say that Hurley would've said they weren't going to play; I said he likely told them they weren't going to get lots of PT. And I'm not so sure he didn't want either to transfer - coaches often make it clear there's going to be less opportunity for players. You have to be fortright and if a player decides to pack their bags, then so be it. Would you want a player on the roster that is half-hearting their way through a season because they realize part way through that they have little to no choice to play? No way in my book. You have to be honest with players so they can provide an honest effort. Just like anything in life.

 

[uconnsouth]

The best programs in America treat practice like it is the game. Diggins played “games” everyday.

You don’t put kids in calculus class if they can’t pass algebra

 

[huskymedic]

 

[polycom]

Very happy for the kid

 

[CTisballers]

All I know is everybody talking about Corey Fluor is not a PG but AJ is far from being a PG. And o hope Rahsool go to Xavier and torch us bit lose the game lol

 

[HuskyBballFan]

So the A-10, the Atlantic Sun, the MAAC, and a few P6 teams who just fired (or in Pitt’s case, will fire) their coach.

 

[navery12]

All I know is everybody talking about Corey Fluor is not a PG but AJ is far from being a PG. And o hope Rahsool go to Xavier and torch us bit lose the game lol

Thank you for your interest in UConn basketball

 

[ThabeetDown]

So the A-10, the Atlantic Sun, the MAAC, and a few P6 teams who just fired (or in Pitt’s case, will fire) their coach.

I'm glad Rasool figured out he has to go a level down to become the player he's supposed to be now unlike Gaff who took 3 years.

With that said, I hope Sool goes to the A-10 or Temple personally. Just anyone but Xavier

 

[WhereistheDove?]

All I know is everybody talking about Corey Fluor is not a PG but AJ is far from being a PG. And o hope Rahsool go to Xavier and torch us bit lose the game lol

Andre is FAR better at the point than Rahsool was.

 

[HooperScooper]

Remember his high school coach saying he wanted to be closer to home? I said I didn't believe that. Well Temple and Iona on that list are the only schools closer to his home than UConn. It's all about playing time and a better opportunity to contribute. As it almost always is. I wish him luck and hope he finds what he's looking for.

 

[CTisballers]

Andre is FAR better at the point than Rahsool was.

No he’s not. Just because you see a 6’7 guy grab a rebound and start a fast break don’t make him a point guard. We didn’t even see the kid on the court to even say who was better, he was 6’2 freshman AJ is a 6’7 sophomore who be out of control.

 

[Umami Zen]

Dre is a unicorn--Special and different-- Sool is in one lane -- PG.. Hope he finds a landing spot that he can express his talents at.

 

[storrsroars]

So the A-10, the Atlantic Sun, the MAAC, and a few P6 teams who just fired (or in Pitt’s case, will fire) their coach.

If I were Sool, the draw of playing for Pitino would stand out on that list of suitors.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

No he’s not. Just because you see a 6’7 guy grab a rebound and start a fast break don’t make him a point guard. We didn’t even see the kid on the court to even say who was better, he was 6’2 freshman AJ is a 6’7 sophomore who be out of control.

Andre ran the point a lot last year, in the half court, when we played Cole off ball. And our offense was actually pretty good when he did.

 

[huskymedic]

Remember his high school coach saying he wanted to be closer to home? I said I didn't believe that. Well Temple and Iona on that list are the only schools closer to his home than UConn.

I get the overall point but don’t forget Penn State (and Richmond isn’t off by much).

 

[Get a Job]

All I know is everybody talking about Corey Fluor is not a PG but AJ is far from being a PG. And o hope Rahsool go to Xavier and torch us bit lose the game lol

Thank you for your interest in UConn basketball

And the English language.

 

[navery12]

No he’s not. Just because you see a 6’7 guy grab a rebound and start a fast break don’t make him a point guard. We didn’t even see the kid on the court to even say who was better, he was 6’2 freshman AJ is a 6’7 sophomore who be out of control.

What about how he had 42 assists over the last 10 games of the season when he was tasked with running the offense more?

 

[WhereistheDove?]

No he’s not. Just because you see a 6’7 guy grab a rebound and start a fast break don’t make him a point guard. We didn’t even see the kid on the court to even say who was better, he was 6’2 freshman AJ is a 6’7 sophomore who be out of control.

I feel like you completely missed the second half of the season. Andre ran point most of the time he was on the court and did well, especially late in the year. Sool was totally lost in the limited playing time he got.