UConn in the NBA Nov 2025

[ToolzieFan]

 

[NJHusky]

I very rarely bet games because I always lose. Pretty much my only cashes came in bombs like the World Cup, Daytona 500 and Scottish Open. And Castle for ROY.

You should post your game bets do we can go the inverse

 

[REB1094]

AJax had 5 garbage time minutes. 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound

Drummond DNP-CD. It seems like when Embiid plays, Adem Bona is C2. When Embiid is out, Andre gets some time

Liam 12 minutes off the bench, 2 points on FTs and 2 rebounds

Hawkins may be forced into more minutes with Zion out for at least 1-2 weeks. 17 minutes, 2 points on 1-4

Not UConn but oh my…don’t think I’ve ever seen Kalkbrenner destroyed like that before


He goes for everything though. Stuffed a Trey Murphy dunk that same game

 

[gsmooth]

AJax had 5 garbage time minutes. 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound

Drummond DNP-CD. It seems like when Embiid plays, Adem Bona is C2. When Embiid is out, Andre gets some time

Liam 12 minutes off the bench, 2 points on FTs and 2 rebounds

Hawkins may be forced into more minutes with Zion out for at least 1-2 weeks. 17 minutes, 2 points on 1-4

Not UConn but oh my…don’t think I’ve ever seen Kalkbrenner destroyed like that before


He goes for everything though. Stuffed a Trey Murphy dunk that same game

Kalk got destroyed by Sanogo in 2023 in both games, especially the one in Gampel. But I have never seen someone dunk on Kalk like that,ouch.

Kalk did have10 pts and 11 rebounds however, but I am just looking at the box score-I did not see the game so I don't have a larger context of if he played a good game.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

I do not like this topic because inevitably within 10 minutes someone will bring up the bag of money these guys get at the next level. And I understand that money is a huge factor. But to make it interesting, can we agree to table the topic of money for this conversation only?

Okay, in that case, we can all agree that UConn has a long history of sending players to the league. HOWEVER, our best NBA players have been players that, for the most part, spent at least 3 years in Storrs.

The greatest Huskies, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Emeka, Cliff Robinson, Rudy Gay, Shabbaz and Kemba all played at least 3 years with us. Clingan and Caron Butler spent 2 years at Storrs.

The thing all these guys have in common are LONG, successful NBA careers. Each of these guys were able to stick around for contract #2, at least. Compare that with the new wave of kids that objectively leave too early: Bouk, Hawk, Andre, and most recently Liam.

Bouk has been a disaster in the NBA and there are receipts on this platform, most of us agreed he left too early (only people who disagreed were people who argued money). Same with Hawk, who has not been a reliable NBA starter because he is a one trick pony.

Andre is riding the pine, and while Liam is just starting out, his physical skillset is a dime a dozen in the NBA. His skillset is not elite when compared to other NBA players. He needed PT. Needed reps. And now, he is going to have a fat bank account, but no reps by which to improve. That has to your development.

Anyways, it frustrates me greatly because you can now get paid in college. I wish all these kids well, but in my opinion, each of those guys should have returned for more college reps.

 

[HW611]

I do not like this topic because inevitably within 10 minutes someone will bring up the bag of money these guys get at the next level. And I understand that money is a huge factor. But to make it interesting, can we agree to table the topic of money for this conversation only?

Okay, in that case, we can all agree that UConn has a long history of sending players to the league. HOWEVER, our best NBA players have been players that, for the most part, spent at least 3 years in Storrs.

The greatest Huskies, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Emeka, Cliff Robinson, Rudy Gay, Shabbaz and Kemba all played at least 3 years with us. Clingan and Caron Butler spent 2 years at Storrs.

The thing all these guys have in common are LONG, successful NBA careers. Each of these guys were able to stick around for contract #2, at least. Compare that with the new wave of kids that objectively leave too early: Bouk, Hawk, Andre, and most recently Liam.

Bouk has been a disaster in the NBA and there are receipts on this platform, most of us agreed he left too early (only people who disagreed were people who argued money). Same with Hawk, who has not been a reliable NBA starter because he is a one trick pony.

Andre is riding the pine, and while Liam is just starting out, his physical skillset is a dime a dozen in the NBA. His skillset is not elite when compared to other NBA players. He needed PT. Needed reps. And now, he is going to have a fat bank account, but no reps by which to improve. That has to your development.

Anyways, it frustrates me greatly because you can now get paid in college. I wish all these kids well, but in my opinion, each of those guys should have returned for more college reps.

Rudy stayed for two and Lamb and Andre stayed for 2 and 1. All those guys received second contracts.

I still see your bigger point. My general thinking is you can’t turn down the lottery. Outside of that if you think you can prepare yourself better for the NBA for another year then go for it.

Calhoun always said the second contract was most important.

 

[jake14mw]

I do not like this topic because inevitably within 10 minutes someone will bring up the bag of money these guys get at the next level. And I understand that money is a huge factor. But to make it interesting, can we agree to table the topic of money for this conversation only?

Okay, in that case, we can all agree that UConn has a long history of sending players to the league. HOWEVER, our best NBA players have been players that, for the most part, spent at least 3 years in Storrs.

The greatest Huskies, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Emeka, Cliff Robinson, Rudy Gay, Shabbaz and Kemba all played at least 3 years with us. Clingan and Caron Butler spent 2 years at Storrs.

The thing all these guys have in common are LONG, successful NBA careers. Each of these guys were able to stick around for contract #2, at least. Compare that with the new wave of kids that objectively leave too early: Bouk, Hawk, Andre, and most recently Liam.

Bouk has been a disaster in the NBA and there are receipts on this platform, most of us agreed he left too early (only people who disagreed were people who argued money). Same with Hawk, who has not been a reliable NBA starter because he is a one trick pony.

Andre is riding the pine, and while Liam is just starting out, his physical skillset is a dime a dozen in the NBA. His skillset is not elite when compared to other NBA players. He needed PT. Needed reps. And now, he is going to have a fat bank account, but no reps by which to improve. That has to your development.

Anyways, it frustrates me greatly because you can now get paid in college. I wish all these kids well, but in my opinion, each of those guys should have returned for more college reps.

I really disagree with you. I think it's rare that success in the NBA is determined by spending more time in college. In most cases, you either have it or you don't. The last thing Andre and Liam needed was more time in Storrs. 5 more years in Storrs wouldn't have helped Andre. Great athlete, but he just doesn't have instincts for offense. Liam will be fine. Karaban's draft position has probably fallen with two more years in Storrs.

We love to keep them in Storrs so we can keep watching them, but they have to go when the time is right. The good thing now is that since they get $$ in college, we get to enjoy players like Karaban longer.

 

[Gurleyman]

difficult to compare across different eras and different situations. Guys like Jackson and Hawkins (and Sanogo) weren’t considered nba talent coming in and struck while the iron was hot after winning a nattie and their stock was high. Can’t blame them for that - they all became nba players and had their shot. Daniels did the same thing and never did crack the league - but staying another year likely wouldn’t have helped. His ceiling was below NBA level. Same with Boat, who did stay. He was always going to be too small. Marcus Williams, Boone and El-Amin left after 3 and didn’t stick. They were too slow, not skilled enough, and too small, respectively. Karaban remains to be seen, but staying for year three didn’t help.

As much as we like to think that another year in Storrs would have morphed Andre into a dynamic offensive player or Hawkins into a triple threat or Bouk into a consistent, efficient scorer - if it didn’t come at the next level, it probably wasn’t coming. Sometimes players have ceilings and their weaknesses can’t be masked against nba talent.

If bouk comes back, has a DWI, or gets suspended, or plays erratically and shows bad body language, etc., the NBA moves on and drafts someone younger with a higher ceiling and he’s not a millionaire.

All the guys on this list were never really in national player of the year or all america talk. They made it - what they do from there is on them and maybe a bit of luck (Ollie managed to stick a long time, Dyson and Price had cups of coffee, etc.).

 

[HW611]

difficult to compare across different eras and different situations. Guys like Jackson and Hawkins (and Sanogo) weren’t considered nba talent coming in and struck while the iron was hot after winning a nattie and their stock was high. Can’t blame them for that - they all became nba players and had their shot. Daniels did the same thing and never did crack the league - but staying another year likely wouldn’t have helped. His ceiling was below NBA level. Same with Boat, who did stay. He was always going to be too small. Marcus Williams, Boone and El-Amin left after 3 and didn’t stick. They were too slow, not skilled enough, and too small, respectively. Karaban remains to be seen, but staying for year three didn’t help.

As much as we like to think that another year in Storrs would have morphed Andre into a dynamic offensive player or Hawkins into a triple threat or Bouk into a consistent, efficient scorer - if it didn’t come at the next level, it probably wasn’t coming. Sometimes players have ceilings and their weaknesses can’t be masked against nba talent.

If bouk comes back, has a DWI, or gets suspended, or plays erratically and shows bad body language, etc., the NBA moves on and drafts someone younger with a higher ceiling and he’s not a millionaire.

All the guys on this list were never really in national player of the year or all america talk. They made it - what they do from there is on them and maybe a bit of luck (Ollie managed to stick a long time, Dyson and Price had cups of coffee, etc.).

Hawkins should’ve left. You can’t turn down lottery money.

But I do think him coming back and honing other skills besides shooting would’ve been helpful in preparing him to get off to a better start in the NBA though.

Same with Andre coming back and honing in on his finishing skills. He didn’t need to be a dynamic scorer. He just needed to be confident in using his elite athleticism to be able to finish at the rim.

There’s so many guys who are high level athletes and go to the NBA with no jumpshots but stick because they can play defense and at least get to the rim. Two of them played last night for the Clippers in Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. Then the NBA taught them how to shoot. Thats what I wish could’ve happened for Andre. Herb Jones would be another example of that as well.

Way too much of his focus was on developing a jumpshot that was never going to be a strength he can depend on at the next level here.

 

[How Sway?!]

I do not like this topic because inevitably within 10 minutes someone will bring up the bag of money these guys get at the next level. And I understand that money is a huge factor. But to make it interesting, can we agree to table the topic of money for this conversation only?

Okay, in that case, we can all agree that UConn has a long history of sending players to the league. HOWEVER, our best NBA players have been players that, for the most part, spent at least 3 years in Storrs.

The greatest Huskies, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Emeka, Cliff Robinson, Rudy Gay, Shabbaz and Kemba all played at least 3 years with us. Clingan and Caron Butler spent 2 years at Storrs.

The thing all these guys have in common are LONG, successful NBA careers. Each of these guys were able to stick around for contract #2, at least. Compare that with the new wave of kids that objectively leave too early: Bouk, Hawk, Andre, and most recently Liam.

Bouk has been a disaster in the NBA and there are receipts on this platform, most of us agreed he left too early (only people who disagreed were people who argued money). Same with Hawk, who has not been a reliable NBA starter because he is a one trick pony.

Andre is riding the pine, and while Liam is just starting out, his physical skillset is a dime a dozen in the NBA. His skillset is not elite when compared to other NBA players. He needed PT. Needed reps. And now, he is going to have a fat bank account, but no reps by which to improve. That has to your development.

Anyways, it frustrates me greatly because you can now get paid in college. I wish all these kids well, but in my opinion, each of those guys should have returned for more college reps.

Counterpoint, Adama stayed for 3 years, is now out of the league. Tristen spent 5 years in college, 2 with us and is now out of the league.

Some just don't have the skillset to play in the NBA, regardless of how many years they stayed in school. No matter how many years at UConn, Hawk would not have developed the ball handling skills needed in the NBA, or an offensive package for Andre.

 

[imno1]

Athough you can now practice all summer, I don't think I can be convinced a player will get better training in college than the in the pros. Stay in college if you aren't 1st round, you need to develop emotionally, or you just love school, want a chance a championship, and nil incomparable or better.

Why do I feel hw611 doesn't think there is capable coaching and training in the pros?

 

[Waquoit]

You should post your game bets do we can go the inverse

I do it to myself! I had the Celtics -470 on the money line on Monday and they lost! But I had Utah for $20 at +360 and won $72. I don't bet games except for Hartford Athletic. I am way in the red there, too.

 

[HW611]

Athough you can now practice all summer, I don't think I can be convinced a player will get better training in college than the in the pros. Stay in college if you aren't 1st round, you need to develop emotionally, or you just love school, want a chance a championship, and nil incomparable or better.

Why do I feel hw611 doesn't think there is capable coaching and training in the pros?

It’s not that there isn’t. They just care less about investing in you on the floor if you don’t come in with a certain skillset already to help win.

In college you are good enough to train and then practice what you train to get it down with in game reps. In the NBA you aren’t going to get those chances to work through things you probably should already have down unless you have other skills that need to keep you on the court.

It’s also why I say being able to shoot going there is so unimportant because that’s the #1 thing they can help you with and you’ll have plenty of chances to do it.

 

[Gurleyman]

The NBA is also largely a different game. The 3 line is further back - the spacing is different, the shot clock is shorter, the length and athleticism of the defenders is different. What helped Charlie V last a while in the nba was getting into the pros and becoming a stretch 4 at that level, not another year of playing in the paint here. Rudy needed to get into the league and be able to face the basket against NBA 3s and not college 2s, where his ball handling could be a strength. He really wasn’t all that great here - made some athletic plays around the rim, but his game blossomed more at the next level. The sooner you get in the league and start adapting your skill set at that level, the better.

Hawkins probably wasn’t going to be a better nba player by coming back. It’s difficult to argue against a hypothetical He maybe would have gotten marginally better at his weaknesses at the college level - but he’d be a year older and those weaknesses would still be weaknesses at the next level. The problem he’s having now is that his strength is a weakness.

We’ve seen this a lot over the years. We’ve had guys in that fringe NBA talent level based on recruiting rankings and college performance, who have made it or been drafted, but they had some nba flaws, their ceiling was low and it made it hard to stick - Williams, Boone, Armstrong, Adrien, Sticks, Dyson, Price, Oriakhi, Daniels, Bazz, Boat, DHam, Adams, Bouk, Sanogo, Hawkins, Jackson, Karaban, Newton. Whether they stay 2, 3 or 4 years - it’s just hard to stick at the next level. You can work on your skills - but the guys who are bigger, faster or better than you are working on theirs too.

The ones who did last: Lamb had a freakish wingspan, Drummond was freakishly athletic, Kemba was impossible to guard, Gay had guard skills in a 6-8 body, Charlie V filled a stretch 4 niche. And some guys could just score. That’s what Hawkins and Bouk needed to do to mask everything else.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

Counterpoint, Adama stayed for 3 years, is now out of the league. Tristen spent 5 years in college, 2 with us and is now out of the league.

Some just don't have the skillset to play in the NBA, regardless of how many years they stayed in school. No matter how many years at UConn, Hawk would not have developed the ball handling skills needed in the NBA, or an offensive package for Andre.

Staying 4 years does not guarantee a thing my friend. But Adama got better each and every year he was here. This is unarguable. And TN was Final Four MVP after his second year in the program. And if you remember, half way through the first year it wasn't looking very good for him. Your thinking belies the fact that the kids I mentioned were not ready. They searched the bag, which was good for them financially because they got drafted. But I contend not so good for them long term. My opinion.

 

[HW611]

The NBA is also largely a different game. The 3 line is further back - the spacing is different, the shot clock is shorter, the length and athleticism of the defenders is different. What helped Charlie V last a while in the nba was getting into the pros and becoming a stretch 4 at that level, not another year of playing in the paint here. Rudy needed to get into the league and be able to face the basket against NBA 3s and not college 2s, where his ball handling could be a strength. He really wasn’t all that great here - made some athletic plays around the rim, but his game blossomed more at the next level. The sooner you get in the league and start adapting your skill set at that level, the better.

Hawkins probably wasn’t going to be a better nba player by coming back. It’s difficult to argue against a hypothetical He maybe would have gotten marginally better at his weaknesses at the college level - but he’d be a year older and those weaknesses would still be weaknesses at the next level. The problem he’s having now is that his strength is a weakness.

We’ve seen this a lot over the years. We’ve had guys in that fringe NBA talent level based on recruiting rankings and college performance, who have made it or been drafted, but they had some nba flaws, their ceiling was low and it made it hard to stick - Williams, Boone, Armstrong, Adrien, Sticks, Dyson, Price, Oriakhi, Daniels, Bazz, Boat, DHam, Adams, Bouk, Sanogo, Hawkins, Jackson, Karaban, Newton. Whether they stay 2, 3 or 4 years - it’s just hard to stick at the next level. You can work on your skills - but the guys who are bigger, faster or better than you are working on theirs too.

The ones who did last: Lamb had a freakish wingspan, Drummond was freakishly athletic, Kemba was impossible to guard, Gay had guard skills in a 6-8 body, Charlie V filled a stretch 4 niche. And some guys could just score. That’s what Hawkins and Bouk needed to do to mask everything else.

Rudy and Charlie were 5*s who had the skills necessary to play in the NBA. They just needed the spacing which made them ready and made it unnecessary to be here. Don’t think they’re like the other guys we’re talking about who had skills they needed to improve.

I think the jump Lamb made with his handle and ability to score with the ball in his hands from year 1 to year 2, confidently, for sure helped him stick in the NBA. He went from a shooter to an overall scorer with that. It was the kind of leap I was hoping for from Hawkins (which is why I constantly group the two of them together).

This doesn’t take away from your overall point, but I don’t think Adrien, Price, and Bazz should be included in the didn’t stick group. Adrien and Price had a helluva run for 2nd round draft picks. They’re in the Cam category as far as guys who found a way because they were that good despite the limitations in size or athleticism. Shabazz was doing pretty good until COVID hit. They aren’t the same as a Sanogo, Newton, and Bouknight. They got real NBA minutes over the course of 4-6 years.

Other guys on your list had work ethic issues which I won’t name. But typically, you want your skills to be as well rounded as possible and in almost all of the pre-Hurley players you named cases, they were maxed out skill wise. There wasn’t much else to get better at before going.

While players like Hawkins and Andre had clear flaws and deficiencies when they left.

 

[husky429]

I do not like this topic because inevitably within 10 minutes someone will bring up the bag of money these guys get at the next level. And I understand that money is a huge factor. But to make it interesting, can we agree to table the topic of money for this conversation only?

Okay, in that case, we can all agree that UConn has a long history of sending players to the league. HOWEVER, our best NBA players have been players that, for the most part, spent at least 3 years in Storrs.

The greatest Huskies, Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Emeka, Cliff Robinson, Rudy Gay, Shabbaz and Kemba all played at least 3 years with us. Clingan and Caron Butler spent 2 years at Storrs.

• The thing all these guys have in common are LONG, successful NBA careers. Each of these guys were able to stick around for contract #2, at least. Compare that with the new wave of kids that objectively leave too early: Bouk, Hawk, Andre, and most recently Liam.

Bouk has been a disaster in the NBA and there are receipts on this platform, most of us agreed he left too early (only people who disagreed were people who argued money). Same with Hawk, who has not been a reliable NBA starter because he is a one trick pony.

Andre is riding the pine, and while Liam is just starting out, his physical skillset is a dime a dozen in the NBA. His skillset is not elite when compared to other NBA players. He needed PT. Needed reps. And now, he is going to have a fat bank account, but no reps by which to improve. That has to your development.

Anyways, it frustrates me greatly because you can now get paid in college. I wish all these kids well, but in my opinion, each of those guys should have returned for more college reps.

You're making all sorts of random claims here. You say it's all about staying 3 years in college and the first two players you mention (Caron and Clingan) both played 2 years in Storrs. So is it 2 years or 3 years that is your threshold for a long UConn career?

• Bouk stayed 2 years just like Clingan. He's a mess mentally, not basketball-wise.
• Steph stayed 1 year and is poised to be the best NBA player to leave our program--ever.
• Andre stayed 3 years before leaving--meeting your criteria for a long college career--and is on his way out of the league.
• Hawkins is a 2 year guy and a bust, that much we can agree on.
• Liam it's too early to make this kind of judgment.
• Adama and Newton both had long, successful college careers and are out of the league.

 

[Palatine]

The sooner you start making millions of dollars the sooner you can put that money to work to make more money. A one or two year headstart on building that wealth ( in capable hands) becomes a nest egg that produces millions in ten years.

 

[Gurleyman]

Rudy and Charlie were 5*s who had the skills necessary to play in the NBA. They just needed the spacing which made them ready and made it unnecessary to be here. Don’t think they’re like the other guys we’re talking about who had skills they needed to improve.

I think the jump Lamb made with his handle and ability to score with the ball in his hands from year 1 to year 2, confidently, for sure helped him stick in the NBA. He went from a shooter to an overall scorer with that. It was the kind of leap I was hoping for from Hawkins (which is why I constantly group the two of them together).

This doesn’t take away from your overall point, but I don’t think Adrien, Price, and Bazz should be included in the didn’t stick group. Adrien and Price had a helluva run for 2nd round draft picks. They’re in the Cam category as far as guys who found a way because they were that good despite the limitations in size or athleticism. Shabazz was doing pretty good until COVID hit. They aren’t the same as a Sanogo, Newton, and Bouknight. They got real NBA minutes over the course of 4-6 years.

Other guys on your list had work ethic issues which I won’t name. But typically, you want your skills to be as well rounded as possible and in almost all of the pre-Hurley players you named cases, they were maxed out skill wise. There wasn’t much else to get better at before going.

While players like Hawkins and Andre had clear flaws and deficiencies when they left.

Fair on Rudy and Charlie - they just kinda didn't look the part in their time here. Most thought Charlie left too soon and were shocked he made it in the lottery. Rudy oozed potential, but had a lot of skills to work on - he shot 31 percent from three as a sophomore and his assist to turnover ratio was below 1. Not good NBA wing numbers at all. One could easily say he needed to come back and work on his shooting and his facilitating at the college level, but his biggest issue was that our paint was crowded with Boone, Hilton, Ed Nelson and Adrien, and he was guarded by smaller college guys who could get up in his grill because there were no driving lanes. Once he had more space to work with, he looked the part. But yeah - he was a top five recruit who could have been one-and-done based on potential alone.

It's splitting hairs on "sticking" - but yeah, Price, Adrien and Bazz carved out a few good years and had moments where it looked like they may play a long time in the NBA. But they were all out of the league by 27 or 28. Based on their expectations, they definitely overachieved.

Comparing Lamb and Hawkins has some layers - Lamb improved, but his efficiency went down (some of it from added responsibility of being the No. 1 option, but he shot it a little worse and his A:TO ratio fell below 1). But UConn also went from national champions to "lucky to get in as a 9 seed" and getting punked by Iowa State, while adding Drummond-Boat-Daniels, losing Kemba and increasing Bazz's role. Kemba was a generational player in terms of talent and leadership, and obviously a tough guy to lose, but the team fell off a cliff when it shouldn't have. Hawkins in year two produced more due to more minutes, but also improved his efficiency, and his team went from first round exit to national champion. He was in a role where his team could thrive, which helped both him and UConn. If he was trying to play point guard and create his own shots, we probably aren't as successful.

 

[alphasigko]

He became a much better basketball player here freshman to sophomore year.

He (and most of the other early leavers, except Steph and Donavan) would have improved even more had they stayed another year or two. Now they have their "big bucks", and are stuck in NBA limbo with playing in Europe or elsewhere as thier possible futures.

 

[Gurleyman]

He (and most of the other early leavers, except Steph and Donavan) would have improved even more had they stayed another year or two. Now they have their "big bucks", and are stuck in NBA limbo with playing in Europe or elsewhereas thier possible futures.

He just won a nattie and had nothing really left to accomplish in college. He had legit nba interest in that moment. You have to figure you maybe have 10 years to make money playing a sport if you stay reasonably healthy (of course some do last longer than that, but you can’t count on it).

Why throw one of them away?

 

[superjohn]

He (and most of the other early leavers, except Steph and Donavan) would have improved even more had they stayed another year or two. Now they have their "big bucks", and are stuck in NBA limbo with playing in Europe or elsewhereas thier possible futures.

I doubt it and he would've been crazy to come back. He shot 50% from three in the tournament and hit big shots which made him a lottery pick. He's the classic case of striking while the iron is hot. He is what he is and another year of college wouldn't have changed that. He's a high volume tough shot taker who can get hot but has never been all that accurate over the long haul.

 

[HW611]

Fair on Rudy and Charlie - they just kinda didn't look the part in their time here. Most thought Charlie left too soon and were shocked he made it in the lottery. Rudy oozed potential, but had a lot of skills to work on - he shot 31 percent from three as a sophomore and his assist to turnover ratio was below 1. Not good NBA wing numbers at all. One could easily say he needed to come back and work on his shooting and his facilitating at the college level, but his biggest issue was that our paint was crowded with Boone, Hilton, Ed Nelson and Adrien, and he was guarded by smaller college guys who could get up in his grill because there were no driving lanes. Once he had more space to work with, he looked the part. But yeah - he was a top five recruit who could have been one-and-done based on potential alone.

It's splitting hairs on "sticking" - but yeah, Price, Adrien and Bazz carved out a few good years and had moments where it looked like they may play a long time in the NBA. But they were all out of the league by 27 or 28. Based on their expectations, they definitely overachieved.

Comparing Lamb and Hawkins has some layers - Lamb improved, but his efficiency went down (some of it from added responsibility of being the No. 1 option, but he shot it a little worse and his A:TO ratio fell below 1). But UConn also went from national champions to "lucky to get in as a 9 seed" and getting punked by Iowa State, while adding Drummond-Boat-Daniels, losing Kemba and increasing Bazz's role. Kemba was a generational player in terms of talent and leadership, and obviously a tough guy to lose, but the team fell off a cliff when it shouldn't have. Hawkins in year two produced more due to more minutes, but also improved his efficiency, and his team went from first round exit to national champion. He was in a role where his team could thrive, which helped both him and UConn. If he was trying to play point guard and create his own shots, we probably aren't as successful.

Yeah I dont want to get too much into the numbers involved. I’m just looking at what skills they had specifically.

Rudy’s 3 point shooting and facilitating wasn’t up to par, but he didn’t really need those to become a high level wing scorer in the league (his 3 point shot came around because the NBA teaches that the easiest). Charlie also had the skills, just never put it together to produce like he should’ve. But they were there.

When talking about how ready Lamb was for the NBA he clearly improved skill wise even if the numbers weren’t efficient or the winning wasn’t there because of a roster that didn’t fit together. Doesn’t take away from the fact that Lamb had the skills he needed for the jump.

He developed his handle to take people off the dribble, he was a 3 level scorer, and had defensive ability, while still being a knockdown shooter the few times he was open which wasn’t much his sophomore year. From that standpoint he was fully prepared.

Hawkins did not have those skills year two. He didn’t develop his handle like Lamb did. He wasn’t a 3 level scorer as he didn’t use his midrange much and couldn’t finish at the rim. His defense did improve though.

Not having that fully rounded out game is what’s hurting him now in a way that it didn’t with Lamb. The team success was the team success and the numbers are the numbers. I’m just speaking to the skills they had to prepare them to make the leap.

I don’t think Hawkins had to play PG to show growth, Jeremy didn’t, and I’m not a believer in a player being a better comes at the cost of winning.

 

[RuffRuff]

Athough you can now practice all summer, I don't think I can be convinced a player will get better training in college than the in the pros. Stay in college if you aren't 1st round, you need to develop emotionally, or you just love school, want a chance a championship, and nil incomparable or better.

Why do I feel hw611 doesn't think there is capable coaching and training in the pros?

Ding ding. Any player destined for greatness isn't counting on their college coach to get them there. In fact, most are racing to start their NBA career. The college coach gives them the stage and gets them drafted, at that point you go on the next step of your journey. At a point your stock hits it's peak, you go and take the money. AJx coming back for his senior year? Hysterical.

These players are worth millions in a snap, can hire coaches, have coaches, should know how to work on things themselves. Do you think the greats in the NBA look back on their college coaching as what made or broke them? If you're 2-3 years into your NBA career and you haven't figured out how to fix your gaps, it's not on the friggin college coach.

 

[alphasigko]

Ding ding. Any player destined for greatness isn't counting on their college coach to get them there. In fact, most are racing to start their NBA career. The college coach gives them the stage and gets them drafted, at that point you go on the next step of your journey. At a point your stock hits it's peak, you go and take the money. AJx coming back for his senior year? Hysterical.

These players are worth millions in a snap, can hire coaches, have coaches, should know how to work on things themselves. Do you think the greats in the NBA look back on their college coaching as what made or broke them? If you're 2-3 years into your NBA career and you haven't figured out how to fix your gaps, it's not on the friggin college coach.

True that it is not on the frigging college coach. What it is, especially now with NIL $, is the opportunity to fix those weaknesses in an environment where you are better than most of your opponents and can get the playing time to do that in real high level competition.