UConn looking to the future...

[HuskyNan]

The school has the men's & women's #1 high school players from the class of 2011 and isn't afraid of using them! But will Andre be around next year? Let's hope so.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Oh, Nan, crossover thread re NCAA violations? It hurts, and it is a big question. Some programs play through this .. and hopefully learn. The mens game is brutal in its recruitment risks and sometimes it happens with a bench warmer in the end. Geno does well to stay out of the jungle on the mens' game and is quite honest about why he does so.

Closest Geno got to this stuff is Gillian Goring (GG sighting !) and the , I think I have this right now, DT Wendy's fries/ ESPN Tour fiasco courtesy of ... well, nevermind - and I expect it cured him for life.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Andre needs to get his FT shooting up to 40%. Physically, he is a stud, but he has so much more to learn as a basketball player. The kid at the Squid's school looks to be NBA ready, not Andre.

 

[DaddyChoc]

the curse of the mojo has struck early...

 

[asuwish]

Andre has NO offensive game. He is raw. He is an athletic freak, but that will only get you so far in the NBA. He could be out of the league in 3-5 years if he is not ready. He could be in the NBA for year based on size alone (see Kwame Brown), but it's risky. He should be thinking at least 2 more years at Uconn. The goal isn't to get to the NBA, it is to be able to stay in the NBA. 66% of ALL NBA players file for bankruptcy within 5 years from the end of their career. Retiring at age 28 or 30 is very young, so he needs good people advising him. He seems like a great kid who people didn't worry about instilling in him skills because he can get point by size alone.

 

[EricLA]

Andre has NO offensive game. He is raw. He is an athletic freak, but that will only get you so far in the NBA. He could be out of the league in 3-5 years if he is not ready. He could be in the NBA for year based on size alone (see Kwame Brown), but it's risky. He should be thinking at least 2 more years at Uconn. The goal isn't to get to the NBA, it is to be able to stay in the NBA. 66% of ALL NBA players file for bankruptcy within 5 years from the end of their career. Retiring at age 28 or 30 is very young, so he needs good people advising him. He seems like a great kid who people didn't worry about instilling in him skills because he can get point by size alone.

i have mixed feelings about it. if you are projected to be a top 10 pick, what difference does it make if you stay in college one more year? from a $ perspective, you aren't going to get any more $ by staying an extra year so why do it?

some say "so you can develop", as if you can't develop in the NBA. Andrew Bynum wasn't ready - he jumped to the NBA out of high school. he had a big body, but not developed and raw. he's also been injured more often than not it seems, but while averaging only 1.6 PPG his first year and 7.8 ppg his 2nd year, he's averaged over 10 PPG every year since. now in his 7th year he's averaging 18 PPG and 13 RPG.

would it have been better for UCONN had he come for a year like he planned? of course. but did he develop in the NBA? i'd say so. there's a whole host of guys who left early and started off slowly only to pick it up as they developed. there are also guys like Thabeet who were monsters in college, or who were drafted on potential and have never developed.

would i love for Drummond to stay an extra year? of course. it only helps UCONN. but if there's a chance he goes top 5 or top 10 in the draft, how does staying an extra year REALLY help? it ONLY helps if he's mentally too immature for the pros. physically and hoops wise, it's possible to develop just as well in the NBA as it is in college.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think Andre really needs to stay. Thabeet was the #2 pick and had to go to the developmental league. That is positively embarassing. He needed 1 more year to work on an offensive game. He may be out of the league in a couple of years.

Some guys in the pros work on their own to improve and some get really good coaching. There are lots of guys who really improve in the NBA and also lots who do not. Most NBA teams do not teach fundamentals, because they assume that players have them before they get there.

Drummond shot FTs at 29.5% for the year. That makes Shaq look like Ray Allen. If he is NBA ready, in no way should we have been outrebounded by Iowa State by 17. Andre had 2 point and 3 rebounds. If he is not ready to play Iowa State, how can he be ready to play the Miami Heat? If he averaged 20 and 12 this year, sure, but needs to learn to play basketball. Looks like Dwight Howard, plays like Ron Howard. He has tons of potential, but needs time, coaching, and effort.

Kids need to ask themselves what they want. Do they want a few million dollars (or more) or do they want more than that? Do they want a 15-year career? Do they want to be a star? Do they want to win? Do they want to maximize their talents? Cliff Robinson stuck around for 18 years and made the playoffs 17 times. Over that length of time, he should have stashed away a ton of money. It sure beats a 5-year career. Ray Allen is an obsessive worker. He's an All Star, NBA champion, NBA record holder, and icon. Guys should strive for careers like those of Cliff and Ray.

 

[MarieM]

With the men not having a post season, next year i doubt he stays