Terry Larrier transferring

[BigErnMcCracken]

It depends what you're looking for. If you want to send players to the NBA and hype up your team's street cred, you go for the one-and-done. But I have no doubt that a grad transfer with the right fit can be much more beneficial for a team's postseason performance.

Yes, teams like Kentucky and Duke sign top-5 players not for their ability, but for the "street cred." If they really wanted to win in the postseason - notwithstanding that Duke is the defending national champion and Kentucky has been to 80% of the last 5 final fours - they would shift their focus to transfers from mid-majors.

 

[Kembacity]

Yes, actually, but not the point. The expectations on KO are absurd. I have no reason to think we're getting Larrier, but if we got our two frosh, Miller and Gibbs for 1 year and Larrier for 3, that's a great class. A few points.

1. You can only grade a class once, when recruiting is done, even putting aside you don't know how they actually play for years. This "strong start" bs is simply internet bulletin board drivel.
.

I like the cut of your jib, it's like people out there can be morose and sad about everything if they look hard enough for the right gray lining, but why?? I'd much rather choose to live in a world where you get excited about the prospects of adding another player rather than playing devil's advocate at every, single, turn

 

[HuskyFich]

Does the fact that our coaches are on these guys before announcing they are transferring mean anything? All these reports mention teams jumping in on Gibbs/Larrier, but it seems we are way ahead of the curve in this aspect.

 

[Stainmaster]

Yes, teams like Kentucky and Duke sign top-5 players not for their ability, but for the "street cred." If they really wanted to win in the postseason - notwithstanding that Duke is the defending national champion and Kentucky has been to 80% of the last 5 final fours - they would shift their focus to transfers from mid-majors.

I'm talking when you have one spot available. Save for that team in '03 who will not be named, you only win with one-and-dones when you go all in with them, i.e. Kentucky under Calipari and Duke this past year. When you're trying to find the missing piece of a puzzle, you look for things like consistency, a knack for clutch plays, and smart defense. Kromah provided those in a way that a one-and-done couldn't.

But yes, you're right, transfers from mid-majors are beneath us and it's ridiculous to be expecting that they make any sort of tangible impact.

 

[Gurleyman]

Of course not, it's just never happened before.

We've won four titles and been to five Final Fours and never had a one and done on those teams (Lamb and CV are the only two and dones). We have won with a grad transfer.

Our model wasn't necessarily better than Kentucky's because we won in 2014. And Duke's wasn't necessarily better than Wisky's because they won. What matters is that you find the model that works at your school - the loaded class of freshmen on a fast track to the NBA worked once for Michigan, and it works now for Kentucky and Duke. Ohio State also had a run at it with the Oden/Conley class.

But is that model going to work for anyone else other than UK and Duke? There are usually less than 10 one and dones a year and you have to get them year after year to sustain that model. Developing a good nucleus and plugging in a hole or two with grad transfers when you need to seems more sustainable to me at the other 350 DI schools.

We are also dipping into that well now because certain guys - Facey, Cassell, Calhoun and to some degree Samuel (who wasn't as highly regarded coming in as the others) - had ample chances to establish themselves as integral parts of our nucleus and didn't take advantage of it. So our short term needs are greater than we had projected this time last year. Adams-Purvis-Hamilton is a nucleus of top 25 recruits with Brimah a successful find as a diamond in the rough role player. Now we are trying to surround them with guys who can help us win now. Ideally, any number of those four improve enough (or are good enough right away in Adams' case) to think about leaving after this year - so the grad transfer route helps us make a go of it right now.

 

[Inyatkin]

I'm just enjoying seeing RJ Evans lumped in with our run of grad transfer wins.

 

[businesslawyer]

I like the cut of your jib, it's like people out there can be morose and sad about everything if they look hard enough for the right gray lining, but why?? I'd much rather choose to live in a world where you get excited about the prospects of adding another player rather than playing devil's advocate at every, single, turn

Someone please fill in the blank for me: "BusinessLawyer is too old by ___ decades to have any clue what Kembacity was posting."

 

[Gurleyman]

I'm just enjoying seeing RJ Evans lumped in with our run of grad transfer wins.

Evans should be disregarded entirely. We were going on probation and losing players left and right. He was a guy willing to come and just soak up minutes in a dead end year while getting a free year of grad school. Unique circumstances.

 

[Huskybass]

We've won four titles and been to five Final Fours and never had a one and done on those teams (Lamb and CV are the only two and dones). We have won with a grad transfer.

Our model wasn't necessarily better than Kentucky's because we won in 2014. And Duke's wasn't necessarily better than Wisky's because they won. What matters is that you find the model that works at your school - the loaded class of freshmen on a fast track to the NBA worked once for Michigan, and it works now for Kentucky and Duke. Ohio State also had a run at it with the Oden/Conley class.

But is that model going to work for anyone else other than UK and Duke? There are usually less than 10 one and dones a year and you have to get them year after year to sustain that model. Developing a good nucleus and plugging in a hole or two with grad transfers when you need to seems more sustainable to me at the other 350 DI schools.

We are also dipping into that well now because certain guys - Facey, Cassell, Calhoun and to some degree Samuel (who wasn't as highly regarded coming in as the others) - had ample chances to establish themselves as integral parts of our nucleus and didn't take advantage of it. So our short term needs are greater than we had projected this time last year. Adams-Purvis-Hamilton is a nucleus of top 25 recruits with Brimah a successful find as a diamond in the rough role player. Now we are trying to surround them with guys who can help us win now. Ideally, any number of those four improve enough (or are good enough right away in Adams' case) to think about leaving after this year - so the grad transfer route helps us make a go of it right now.

Drummond was a one and done and Caron was a two and done. That said, I really like the veteran leadership the grad transfers provide.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm just enjoying seeing RJ Evans lumped in with our run of grad transfer wins.

RJ Evans, at a high Major level, was outmatched physically. On the other hand, if you want to ask whether RJ Evan's presence in 12-13 make us a materially better team than we would have been without him, the answer is absolutely yes. He contributed to some wins (against lower level competition and then at the end against Providence) with his play, but his leadership all year was a key part of what made that team exceed expectations.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Because Drummond in his one year did not make the team better at all (not his fault, but that team would have been better without him).

Not to derail this thread even further, but what exactly is the basis for this?

 

[upstater]

Does the fact that our coaches are on these guys before announcing they are transferring mean anything? All these reports mention teams jumping in on Gibbs/Larrier, but it seems we are way ahead of the curve in this aspect.

Larrier has not been released. No one is on him. At least I hope not.

 

[Gurleyman]

Drummond was a one and done and Caron was a two and done. That said, I really like the veteran leadership the grad transfers provide.

I edited my post since i originally worded it poorly. I meant no one and dones on the teams that won titles (or went to the Final Four).

 

[Chief00]

Quite frankly, you should average 3 guys a year out of HS then replace and grad transfers and other transfers offset guys you lose for NBA, academics, trouble and guys leaving for playing time.

 

[nomar]

Here comes UConn!!!

Here's a pic of Ollie, Miller and K-Free on the recruiting trail.

 

[mdkhusky]

Business lawyer you have got to be kidding me. A year of kromah over a year of Drummond. What drugs are you on we all need some

 

[Stainmaster]

The Bronx borders Connecticut.


Here's a pic of Ollie, Miller and K-Free on the recruiting trail.

Technically, it only borders Westchester County and Marble Hill. But still plenty close enough.

 

[nomar]

Technically, it only borders Westchester County and Marble Hill. But still plenty close enough.

That was one of those posts that got aborted before finishing and then when I replied to someone else, it got swept into it. (You managed to reply in the 10 seconds it took me to edit the post.) Yeah, I was going to say "practically" borders CT, but then I thought, who cares?

 

[partyATkemba]

Can't forget part of recruiting is perception. It's nice and easy for Ollie to use X, Y and Z as examples of players that have come through the system and has had success at the next level. So despite the "NBA Talent" and wanting players to stay 4 years, you still have to attract these players through perception.

 

[Inyatkin]

RJ Evans, at a high Major level, was outmatched physically. On the other hand, if you want to ask whether RJ Evan's presence in 12-13 make us a materially better team than we would have been without him, the answer is absolutely yes. He contributed to some wins (against lower level competition and then at the end against Providence) with his play, but his leadership all year was a key part of what made that team exceed expectations.

Oh I'm not knocking the guy. He did good work for us. He's not Gibbs, but that's OK.

 

[OkaForPrez]

That was one of those posts that got aborted before finishing and then when I replied to someone else, it got swept into it. (You managed to reply in the 10 seconds it took me to edit the post.) Yeah, I was going to say "practically" borders CT, but then I thought, who cares?

Yeah I wasn't ruling us out in the process of throwing St. Johns out there. More like, who are we competing with if he's staying close to home?

 

[businesslawyer]

Not to derail this thread even further, but what exactly is the basis for this?

Opinion, obviously. But what is it based on? That team underperformed its talent level by more than any team in UConn history. Why? It's chemistry sucked. Kids didn't play together or always hard. Why? Without Drummond, we returned 4 starters and the sixth man (Bazz) from a championship team, and added Boat and Daniels. We would have started AO, Tyler, Roscoe, Lamb and Bazz. After 5 minutes, like the year before, Tyler comes out (for Boat instead of Bazz), Roscoe slides up to the 4 and Lamb the 3, and we still have Giffey (if not DAniels). When Drummond comes, not enough minutes and not at the right positions. AO feels disrespected and can't figure out how to coexist with Drummond on the floor (and all year, AO when Drummond was out was more effective than when Drummond was in), Roscoe now is stuck at the 3 where he's not nearly as effective, almost drops out of the rotation completely and wants out. Daniels doesn't have minutes available for him, doesn't get better as the year progresses and drops out of the rotation. And you have too many players sulking and not playing with the fire and heart and D that had already won them a championship.

Was that Drummond's fault. Almost entirely not. Did it utterly end up destroying the morale and chemistry of what was easily a Top 20 team? Yup.

People are free to disagree -- you can't prove what would have happened -- but that's how I see it.

 

[Huskybass]

I am going to have to agree with Businesslawyer. Kromah was a vital piece of the 2014 championship team. Despite Drummond's immense talent and potential, his presence didn't make the 2011-12 team better.

 

[Matrim55]

I am going to have to agree with Businesslawyer. Kromah was a vital piece of the 2014 championship team. Despite Drummond's immense talent and potential, his presence didn't make the 2011-12 team better.

+1

That said, Drummond would have helped last year's team far more than Kromah would have. There's almost never a one-size-fits-all answer.

 

[Pmurph678]

Well when you can't get the one-and-dones, you have to make do with what's around. It bothers some that we're scrounging for spare parts, but given the circumstances what else should we do? "Get the top targets" isn't an option -- they're signed to play elsewhere.

Duke won a title this year with major contributions from one-and-done freshman. That is not a trend, and you should not treat it as such. If Wisconsin had pulled it out, would that mean that one-and-dones don't work?

The key to winning in college basketball is to have good players on your team. Whether those players are one-and-dones or veteran players, and whether those veteran players are transfers or were recruited out of high school, does not change your ability to win games.

I don't disagree with anything in your post, all i was saying is that i would prefer an elite high school player to a grad transfer.

Not that I want to become Kentucky or that i don't want any grad transfers. I want us to get the best players available, right now that is grad transfers.