Strangely optimistic

[Fishy]

Not fazed by the Hamilton news - still think next year's team is going to be very good.

With Larrier and Vance coming, if there was one position where wecould afford a defection, it was the wing.

I think it may free the ball up more and allow the guards to dictate more of the game and the pace. I expected Jalen to be the star of next year's team and this may actually help him.

Not worried about this at all- I think it's a mistake for Hamilton, but less of an issue for the team. (Timing is so odd...he either got great feedback, bad advice or is just winging it.)

Still worried about rebounding, though. I'd like us to do more of it next year.

 

[Dooley]

Completely agree with all of this. I want Brown to re-class to 2016 and find another rebounding big with the open scholarship. Do that, and we are looking at a team with the talent to go deep in next year's tournament.

 

[UConnSwag11]

so we have three 'ships now? what names are out there? another guard and a big would be nice

 

[Fishy]

Brown is definitely not coming in next year - I'd rather he not, actually. Let Enoch improve, hope the Putnam kid can contribute and then pray Brimah doesn't develop a yen to play pro ball in Mongolia or Istanbul.

 

[tcf15]

If Alpha Diallo is seriously considering UConn at all, the timing of Hamilton's decision helps there.

 

[gtcam]

Brown is definitely not coming in next year - I'd rather he not, actually. Let Enoch improve, hope the Putnam kid can contribute and then pray Brimah doesn't develop a yen to play pro ball in Mongolia or Istanbul.

Maybe AB leaves and he and DHam can be a package deal in Istanbul

 

[tcf15]

3 scholarships for next year:

 

[Gurleyman]

Not all that optimistic about next year so much if RP is gone too, but hoping this sets up well for two years from now -- as our young guys are forced to find their way this year and then we can really thrive with a battle-tested JR Larrier, JR Adams, SO Gilbert.

 

[djct1999]

If Alpha Diallo is seriously considering UConn at all, the timing of Hamilton's decision helps there.

Sounds like a net loss to me.

 

[deedougie]

Not fazed by the Hamilton news - still think next year's team is going to be very good.

I think it may free the ball up more and allow the guards to dictate more of the game and the pace. I expected Jalen to be the star of next year's team and this may actually help him.

Agree 100 percent. I think it will be a much tighter "team" next season. And I'll be glad to never, ever see Hamilton do his turn-around drive down the lane.

 

[uconngb]

Not fazed by the Hamilton news - still think next year's team is going to be very good.

With Larrier and Vance coming, if there was one position where wecould afford a defection, it was the wing.

I think it may free the ball up more and allow the guards to dictate more of the game and the pace. I expected Jalen to be the star of next year's team and this may actually help him.

Not worried about this at all- I think it's a mistake for Hamilton, but less of an issue for the team. (Timing is so odd...he either got great feedback, bad advice or is just winging it.)

Still worried about rebounding, though. I'd like us to do more of it next year.

Really, really hard to understand what's in these kids' heads. Hamilton will not get drafted. His best chance for improvement was at UConn next year. He's gonna go play in Turkey or China or some other far away land and be completely irrelevant.....and don't tell me that's still ok. His own quote says he's declaring for the NBA draft. So somehow he has it in his head that he's going to get drafted. The laundry list of players who have gone undrafted, MANY of whom had far more skills and more to offer than Hamilton, apparently doesn't exist in his mind. It is mind-boggling the way these kids think....er, don't think, about their futures. Huge, huge mistake that he is going to regret.

 

[Matrim55]

Hard to lose your three best players and still be optimistic.

Fringe top 25 team at best, unless Jalen goes nuts and turns into junior year Kemba.

 

[Gurleyman]

3 scholarships for next year:

View attachment 13008

Unless we get a late addition or grad transfer, I imagine it is less likely that Durham redshirts. Even if he isn't ready at the start of the year, we may need the reinforcements when he is ready.

 

[superjohn]

We now desperately need Rodney to come back and Ollie is gonna go to town on the recruiting front with three open schollie. As far as DHam, I just hate seeing young talented people making awful decisions about their future, especially when it is one of our own.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

If Alpha Diallo is seriously considering UConn at all, the timing of Hamilton's decision helps there.

@tcf15 do we have a good shot with Alpha or any other players? Bummed Hamilton is leaving but I'm happy for the kid.

 

[JSM1970]

I agree, I somewhat like it. I just thought Hamilton's style in college wasn't great and he'll be a better pro potentially. Wish him the best. Hopefully he can make a roster.

I like Larrier, hopefully Jackson can play immediately and we get a solid option at the 4.

Can Brimah become Brice Johnson between now and October please.

Not fazed by the Hamilton news - still think next year's team is going to be very good.

With Larrier and Vance coming, if there was one position where wecould afford a defection, it was the wing.

I think it may free the ball up more and allow the guards to dictate more of the game and the pace. I expected Jalen to be the star of next year's team and this may actually help him.

Not worried about this at all- I think it's a mistake for Hamilton, but less of an issue for the team. (Timing is so odd...he either got great feedback, bad advice or is just winging it.)

Still worried about rebounding, though. I'd like us to do more of it next year.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Really, really hard to understand what's in these kids' heads. Hamilton will not get drafted. His best chance for improvement was at UConn next year. He's gonna go play in Turkey or China or some other far away land and be completely irrelevant.....and don't tell me that's still ok. His own quote says he's declaring for the NBA draft. So somehow he has it in his head that he's going to get drafted. The laundry list of players who have gone undrafted, MANY of whom had far more skills and more to offer than Hamilton, apparently doesn't exist in his mind. It is mind-boggling the way these kids think....er, don't think, about their futures. Huge, huge mistake that he is going to regret.

if he's going to get paid playing basketball in say australia, i say that's much better than to go to school when you dont want to

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Hard to lose your three best players and still be optimistic.

Fringe top 25 team at best, unless Jalen goes nuts and turns into junior year Kemba.

Couldn't disagree more. I question whether Hamilton's decision is the best move for him, but the team will be fine. Very talented kid but enough warts that his departure by no means sinks their season.

 

[UConnSwag11]

@tcf15 do we have a good shot with Alpha or any other players? Bummed Hamilton is leaving but I'm happy for the kid.

and @CallMeBruce what about those transfers that we were recruiting?

 

[Palatine]

It's definitely a big loss. He was the best rebounder on a rebound challenged team. And his after his ups and downs, he really started coming into his own by season's end. Plus, he would have come back bigger and stronger.

We will still have a strong team but this stings.

 

[tcf15]

@tcf15 do we have a good shot with Alpha or any other players? Bummed Hamilton is leaving but I'm happy for the kid.

Some schools have definitely invested more time in recruiting Alpha, so they may have a leg up on UConn, but he seems to be waiting them out. Last news was that UConn was going to be in to see him at Brewster to try and set up an official. Let's see if we hear anything about that next week.

 

[Stainmaster]

Couldn't disagree more. I question whether Hamilton's decision is the best move for him, but the team will be fine. Very talented kid but enough warts that his departure by no means sinks their season.

Combine this with Purvis potentially doing the same though, and we're relying on a lot of guys to grow up very quickly.

 

[ClumsyLibrarian]

Rodney posted this picture after the season and I didn't think anything of it. But now that Hamilton signed with an agent, It's making me think more and more that Rodney is leaving with him. If so, we need to sign a third guard badly.

 

[Fishy]

Not all that optimistic about next year so much if RP is gone....

If RP goes, my optimism goes with him.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Some schools have definitely invested more time in recruiting Alpha, so they may have a leg up on UConn, but he seems to be waiting them out. Last news was that UConn was going to be in to see him at Brewster to try and set up an official. Let's see if we hear anything about that next week.

Cool, hopefully he was waiting on the offer and some spots to open up. Off topic but another guy I wish we were interested in was Giannis' A's brother, not gonna try to spell that last name. Looks like a great athlete and very smooth.

 

[Gurleyman]

Couldn't disagree more. I question whether Hamilton's decision is the best move for him, but the team will be fine. Very talented kid but enough warts that his departure by no means sinks their season.

It's getting to be a numbers problem. We now have 10 scholarship guys, one of whom is injured and we'd ideally like to redshirt. And Purvis could be gone too.

Obviously a lot depends on what happens to fill some spots between now and October.

 

[tcf15]

Cool, hopefully he was waiting on the offer and some spots to open up. Off topic but another guy I wish we were interested in was Giannis' A's brother, not gonna try to spell that last name. Looks like a great athlete and very smooth.

Yeah, I mean, if hiring an agent was always DHam's plan, it's best to do it now to give KO a chance to fill his spot instead of waiting until the withdraw deadline. This makes the spring recruiting period a bit more interesting to say the least.

 

[Jerry1714]

Seems like a lot of people changed the channel when Dan Hurley went to the bench. You might want to go back and watch the team when he was not on the floor, it was not good.

 

[superjohn]

Seems like a lot of people changed the channel when Dan Hurley went to the bench. You might want to go back and watch the team when he was not on the floor, it was not good.

It was not good with him on the floor much of the time. The kid shot 20% from the field for a good chunk of the season.

 

[Matrim55]

Couldn't disagree more. I question whether Hamilton's decision is the best move for him, but the team will be fine. Very talented kid but enough warts that his departure by no means sinks their season.

I think the team will be fine, too - top 25-to-35ish. Our season isn't sunk by any means.

But I honestly thought we were a borderline top 10 team with him returning. The group that showed up in the AAC tourney and the second halves of the Colorado & KU games would've been tough to beat.