Rahsool Diggins transferring (merged threads)

[Hungryhusky99]

I'm not sure we actually know that the sophomore Diggins wouldn't be able to run the point. We know that as a freshman he didn't get any PT except garbage time with walk-ons.* Gaffney? Stronger argument, he had many more opportunities to show it in game situations.

*I mean, it's not like no player has ever improved significantly with growth, strength and maturity between freshman and sophomore years.

I think it is pretty obvious by the way Hurley spoke about him and the list of schools recruiting him now that he was not a viable option at point next year.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I'm not sure we actually know that the sophomore Diggins wouldn't be able to run the point. We know that as a freshman he didn't get any PT except garbage time with walk-ons.* Gaffney? Stronger argument, he had many more opportunities to show it in game situations.

*I mean, it's not like no player has ever improved significantly with growth, strength and maturity between freshman and sophomore years.

Possibly, but what we know now is that Sool was clearly outplayed significantly by Gaffney in practice, who himself was terrible in games and in Sool's very limited minutes, he looked completely lost and couldn't even bring the ball up the court. There's always a chance he could have been a starting-caliber player next year but that feels incredibly unlikely given what we saw, and it's not too much of a stretch to assume that Hurley let him know the likelihood of him seeing significant minutes next year was not great.

I won't discount the chance that Sool can turn into a solid player before his college career is over, but if the argument is that we would have been appreciably better off than we are now with giving Gaffney/Sool starter's minutes at the point this upcoming season, that's a horrible argument.

 

[Rico444]

Long story made short…..

Corey is not a point guard. Andre is not a point guard.

We had two point guards, mismanaged the living crap out of the roster and now we have none. We will take anything that resembles a point guard from the portal because we’re so screwed if we don’t.

Paint whatever pretty scenario helps you self-soothe over this debacle, but that’s where we’re at. We have zero point guards here or coming in and we’re a buyer in a seller’s market.

There are over 1000 athletes in the portal, I wouldn't call this a seller's market.

 

[scotty0330]

How many of those athletes are capable of competing in a power 5 level conference? Then take out all those athletes that aren't point guards....you end up with a small sample...thus it ain't a buyers dream.

 

[KingAG]

How many of those athletes are capable of competing in a power 5 level conference? Then take out all those athletes that aren't point guards....you end up with a small sample...thus it ain't a buyers dream.

We’re UConn. We’re apart of the millionaires club shopping in Walmart right now. We should have no problem getting what we want in this type of transfer portal

 

[HuskyBballFan]

So when we get a PG better than Gaffney and Diggins what will you whine about next?

He’ll probably say “I told you so” when Diggins carves out a nice role for himself coming off the bench for some A-10 team next year.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

with his offer sheet, i bet sool woke up one day, with kansas the champ and nova recently also, and thought 'what am i doing here? with all the splinters i got, at least if i was pining away at kansas, i could have had some nice hardware. i gotta be better than this. im out.'
anyone else notice that when danny was doing his talk last week, he was talking about jalen in the present tense, yet coterminus ('having the same boundaries or extent in space, time, or meaning') with danny's talk, or shortly thereafter, jalen announced his sayonara.
lots of weird guard stuff going down.

Yeah, because Diggins would have gotten more PT at Villanova and Kansas right? And he clearly was not taken by Nova (or Kansas) as a guard that was going to be a year-1 contributor (just like here at UConn). Just because someone gets an offer it doesn't mean that they're being brought in to be a top of the rotation guy early on. I think UConn actually brought him in as early-on insurance with the upside of being an upperclassmen contributer.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We’re UConn. We’re apart of the millionaires club shopping in Walmart right now. We should have no problem getting what we want in this type of transfer portal

Eh. Maybe. I don't think Hurley wanted to lose both those guys. Maybe one or the other. Fishy's right about that. Bringing in a lead PG is one thing. Bringing in a backup? Good luck on that guy being as good as Gaffney. Almost certainly needs to be a low level guy who doesn't mind less playing time. Castle is coming in, there is no pitch that you're going to become the starter in future years.

Playing time is a key factor for these transfers, and we have some, but not enough for two very good PGs. I think we can pitch time at the wing, but not a starting spot there either.

 

[KingAG]

Eh. Maybe. I don't think Hurley wanted to lose both those guys. Maybe one or the other. Fishy's right about that. Bringing in a lead PG is one thing. Bringing in a backup? Good luck on that guy being as good as Gaffney. Almost certainly needs to be a low level guy who doesn't mind less playing time. Castle is coming in, there is no pitch that you're going to become the starter in future years.

Playing time is a key factor for these transfers, and we have some, but not enough for two very good PGs. I think we can pitch time at the wing, but not a starting spot there either.

Except by all reports Floyd and Jackson can spilt that back up pg duty. Or we bring in multiple “ball handlers/shot creators” who have now heard Hurley say he wants to play 4 out. There are plenty of minutes for 2 top guards. I could absolutely sell Ramsey and Newton, or one of the 2 and the kid from Belmont(which is probably the better mix of players).

Also look at Arkansas. Good players want to play with good players. They care about playing time more than starting

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Bringing in a lead PG is one thing. Bringing in a backup? Good luck on that guy being as good as Gaffney.

I appreciate all the effort that Gaffney put in here, but he was a warm body from a basketball standpoint and I think the chances of getting at least a comparable player in the portal to replace his role are much higher than you're making them out to be. I'm sure Hurley is aiming higher than that though.

 

[imno1]

I believe that if CFjr played this pass season he would have seen more time than Gaffney by year's end. And before you say Floyd isn't a point guard I counter and say he's every bit as much of one as Jalen.

 

[Hoophound]

Eh. Maybe. I don't think Hurley wanted to lose both those guys. Maybe one or the other. Fishy's right about that. Bringing in a lead PG is one thing. Bringing in a backup? Good luck on that guy being as good as Gaffney. Almost certainly needs to be a low level guy who doesn't mind less playing time. Castle is coming in, there is no pitch that you're going to become the starter in future years.

Playing time is a key factor for these transfers, and we have some, but not enough for two very good PGs. I think we can pitch time at the wing, but not a starting spot there either.

I think you conflate Gaffney’s potential with his actual performance. I agree, he has talent, but he sucked for us. It might be the coaches killing his confidence, it might just be Jalen’s limitations. Either way, it shouldn’t be hard to find a player that will produce more than Gaffney did for us.

 

[Umami Zen]

Long story short. Gaff was a natural CG trying to be a PG for Dan Hurley.. Not his strength. Hope he crushes it wherever he lands.

 

[Ratso]

Not everyone is saying AJax should be a PG. Several have said he'd be a very useful point forward. At least one person mentioned Henefeld. So let's take a look at the two:

View attachment 75380

Keep in mind Henefeld's team had Tate George and Chris Smith (and Burrell) as guards and ball handlers. Yet Henefeld brought the ball up court quite often and facilitated well.

That part of AJax's game is already there. If he could dribble drive and finish a couple of times a game more than what he's doing now, they'd really be pretty similar. There's obviously a role for AJax as a key ball handler, especially against teams that apply any kind of press or backcourt defense.

all I’m saying is that he has a lot of Ben Simmons traits. size, athleticis, defending. I know sounds like a broken record, but Simmons is in the nba and not a bust. i know that Ben has better handles and is an elite defender. nothing Jackson can’t develop offseason. PF, PG who cares. If he has a any chance getting to the league, it‘s his running the floor/distributing/rebounding skills, court vision!!!!!

 

[WNConn]

Most of us wanted Gaffney to transfer. We didn't know enough about Diggins one way or the other to want him to leave, but his offers are indicative that folks dont think he belongs in high major basketball

 

[Huskybass]

What did he say that was inaccurate? What if we don‘t improve at that position? Until we get a PG better than Gaffney and Diggins we are in a huge hole.

There are over 1000 guys in the portal. The odds of us having a net upgrade via the portal are very good. If we don't have a couple of good transfers by a month from now then I would say we are in a hole.

 

[Mooch82]

I’d be shocked if we don’t end up in a better spot at PG than we would’ve if those two guys stayed.

 

[Chin Diesel]

What did he say that was inaccurate? What if we don‘t improve at that position? Until we get a PG better than Gaffney and Diggins we are in a huge hole.

The circle everyone keeps going around is UConn was screwed with Gaff and Sool.

Wrapping this up, UConn was going to be bad if the PG's next year were Sool and Gaff.

UConn will be bad if they don't get any replacements worth a damn.

It's a distinction without a difference.

 

[KingAG]

It’s like throwing out a refrigerator infested with mold…..and then complaining you don’t have a refrigerator . Yes, you no longer have the molded refrigerator , but now you have space for a brand new refrigerator. The old one, though present, wasn’t going to do much good for you. Now to Home Depot we go.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

Long story made short…..

Corey is not a point guard. Andre is not a point guard.

We had two point guards, mismanaged the living crap out of the roster and now we have none. We will take anything that resembles a point guard from the portal because we’re so screwed if we don’t.

Paint whatever pretty scenario helps you self-soothe over this debacle, but that’s where we’re at. We have zero point guards here or coming in and we’re a buyer in a seller’s market.

What happened to you? Used to be the voice of reason. Now you complain that the guy with offers from Iona, VCU and Temple is like losing Kemba Walker. Huh!?

 

[Deleted at users request]

What happened to you? Used to be the voice of reason. Now you complain that the guy with offers from Iona, VCU and Temple is like losing Kemba Walker. Huh!?

We don’t have to be losing Kemba Walker to feel like it’s terrible to go into an off-season with no recruited point guards, one of the most important positions on the court in college basketball.

However people may feel about the talent, having no point guard who knows the current guys on the team and has to learn the system is not a good thing. At all.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

Yeah, because Diggins would have gotten more PT at Villanova and Kansas right? And he clearly was not taken by Nova (or Kansas) as a guard that was going to be a year-1 contributor (just like here at UConn). Just because someone gets an offer it doesn't mean that they're being brought in to be a top of the rotation guy early on. I think UConn actually brought him in as early-on insurance with the upside of being an upperclassmen contributer.

who said anything aboot playing time? are u unfamiliar with the term 'pining' or 'pine time' as used by ballers? u can talk til ur head falls off, it doesn't change anything aboot his being 'drafted' by both kansas and nova, instead farting around here for a season, seeing the floor for a handful of minutes.
the sad part was all the game time wasted, and resultant absolutely lack of results coming from 'mr any day (week, month, year, decade) now.' and you know what else aboot fishy's brilliant 'mismanaged' comment? im not so sure that losing josh, and keeping the other two, was our right move, or that our best team peaking so far wasn't, in fact, that team firing on all cylinders before the bug shut us down years ago.
sool was picked by kansas and nova. that happened. his not seeing a lick of game here also happened.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

who said anything aboot playing time? are u unfamiliar with the term 'pining' or 'pine time' as used by ballers? u can talk til ur head falls off, it doesn't change anything aboot his being 'drafted' by both kansas and nova, instead farting around here for a season, seeing the floor for a handful of minutes.
the sad part was all the game time wasted, and resultant absolutely lack of results coming from 'mr any day (week, month, year, decade) now.' and you know what else aboot fishy's brilliant 'mismanaged' comment? im not so sure that losing josh, and keeping the other two, was our right move, or that our best team peaking so far wasn't, in fact, that team firing on all cylinders before the bug shut us down years ago.
sool was picked by kansas and nova. that happened. his not seeing a lick of game here also happened.

Yup and he would've had just as much or more pine time at Nova and Kansas. Whatever, move on bro.

 

[rollskies]

 

[uchusky32]

What happened to you? Used to be the voice of reason. Now you complain that the guy with offers from Iona, VCU and Temple is like losing Kemba Walker. Huh!?

I think the problem is timing. It's spring limiting time to find long term solution. And the miss on both means we have a potential problem, depth 2 years from now.

 

[auror]

I think the problem is timing. It's spring limiting time to find long term solution. And the miss on both means we have a potential problem, depth 2 years from now.

2 years from now Diggins would be a junior, gaffney gone, and Castle a freshman. Just find a transfer with 2 years left and we're fine.

 

[Dean Wormer]

We don’t have to be losing Kemba Walker to feel like it’s terrible to go into an off-season with no recruited point guards, one of the most important positions on the court in college basketball.

However people may feel about the talent, having no point guard who knows the current guys on the team and has to learn the system is not a good thing. At all.

We all watched the tournament this year, and every year. You need good PGs to do ANYTHING in the Dance. St. Peters, Loyola last year, you name it. Nova has made a living with their annoying guards over the years. This year we had RJ and a hybrid Dre, with nothing coming from Gaff and look where we ended up.
Having Dre and freshman Floyd as the only options right now means we gonna struggle, no doubt about it. Dan Hurley needs a big time pickup in the portal, or we’re screwed.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I think the problem is timing. It's spring limiting time to find long term solution. And the miss on both means we have a potential problem, depth 2 years from now.

Limiting time to find a long term solution? There are over 1000 players in the transfer portal. Years ago your assessment may have been right but with the portal there is plenty of time to find what we need.

 

[alphasigko]

I hope he goes to Iona to be coached by Pitino. IMO that would be his best move.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

and yet, u said this aboot mr sool,
6/30/21
'He's going to be a very popular player by the time he leaves.'
u say a lot of dopey things. mostly sounding in 'open mouth, change feet.'
kumo sends his regards.

Not sure this it the "gotcha" moment you think it is. He's definitely not as good as I or a lot of folks thought he'd be. It happens. And just FYI, the post you're referencing was about how personable and good in front of a camera he was during media day before the season started. While I did think he'd be a much better player than he turned out to be, that post wasn't actually about his on-court performance.