UConn still has four open scholarships for next season but likely won’t fill all of them.

[Mooch82]

Know nothing before about Diarra except what the BY says.

Checked his 2 year stats and just a mid 30% shooter in limited playing time and not a lot of assists.

The good news is that in the NIT, his shooting % and points scored, showed dramatic improvement. So judging by his most recent performance, he might be someone to consider.

View attachment 76147
View attachment 76148

He’s Mamadou’s brother who is still a grad assistant. Played at PSA. Thought we should’ve gone after him outta h.s. Supposed to be a tough kid and a winner. Hasn’t been great in college but probably the perfect situation to bring in a guy who’s ok without starting right away at a position of need.

 

[SixRings]

Fine I'll do it. As long as I have a legitimate chance to compete for a starting role in the future.

nar·cis·sism
/ˈnärsəˌsizəm/
noun

1. excessive interest in or admiration of oneself

 

[mauconnfan]

Know nothing before about Diarra except what the BY says.

Checked his 2 year stats and just a mid 30% shooter in limited playing time and not a lot of assists.

The good news is that in the NIT, his shooting % and points scored, showed dramatic improvement. So judging by his most recent performance, he might be someone to consider.

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Not as good in the news department is 75 minutes in those games and only 8 rebounds. With the supposed toughness I would expect him to stick his nose in more. But for what is needed and the time available maybe he’s a fit we will see.

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

He’s Mamadou’s brother who is still a grad assistant. Played at PSA. Thought we should’ve gone after him outta h.s. Supposed to be a tough kid and a winner. Hasn’t been great in college but probably the perfect situation to bring in a guy who’s ok without starting right away at a position of need.

We looked at him many times in HS but I just don’t think it was a fit at the time. I can’t find the exact quote but I could swear that at one point Hurley essentially said that he really liked him and wouldn’t be shocked if not taking him at the time would look stupid in the future.

I know some in here look at his A&M stats and rule him out, which is fair, but I really liked this kid out of HS. As I recall, he is tough as nails and was the guy who wants the ball with the game on the line. If the player is open to it, I’d love to see him come in this year as a rotation guy and then see where it goes.

 

[Com'rGordon]

I think Hassan would be a win-win for both sides, hope we get him

 

[rip7774]

As I mentioned in another thread we are close with a key player @ A&M, went to multiple games including SEC Tourney & NIT Final and watched most every minute of the last 10-12 games.

Diarra is a shoot first player, but A&M doesn’t have much inside as Coleman does a lot of his damage facing up. Diarra hit the 3 to beat UF in round one and an absolute TON of big shots in the last dozen games. He’s not afraid of anything. I would think he shot far better once their starting pg quit (the team as a whole seeemed to be way better after they sort of just put in in two wings hands and got away from a point guard.

I would think on a better offensive team & more structure he could shoot 35%+ from 3. He can handle better than anyone we had last year not named RJ, but again not a playmaker For others. Would be a terrific backup guard I believe. He’s tough physically and mentally.

 

[navery12]

I would think he shot far better once their starting pg quit (the team as a whole seeemed to be way better after they sort of just put in in two wings hands and got away from a point guard.

Small sample of course, but in 13 games after Williams left he shot 44% from 3 on 2.5 attempts per game

 

[auror]

As I mentioned in another thread we are close with a key player @ A&M, went to multiple games including SEC Tourney & NIT Final and watched most every minute of the last 10-12 games.

Diarra is a shoot first player, but A&M doesn’t have much inside as Coleman does a lot of his damage facing up. Diarra hit the 3 to beat UF in round one and an absolute TON of big shots in the last dozen games. He’s not afraid of anything. I would think he shot far better once their starting pg quit (the team as a whole seeemed to be way better after they sort of just put in in two wings hands and got away from a point guard.

I would think on a better offensive team & more structure he could shoot 35%+ from 3. He can handle better than anyone we had last year not named RJ, but again not a playmaker For others. Would be a terrific backup guard I believe. He’s tough physically and mentally.

Wow that PG certainly was bad. They lost 9 of 10, he steps away, and then they won 11 of 13. And it's not just a schedule quirk, 84 ORTG is incredibly atrocious and they beat Alabama, Auburn, and Arkansas all away from home during the stretch.

Diarra shot 44% from 3 over the 13 games after the guy got hurt. 40% from 2 (which was about the same as rest of the season).

 

[aburks41]

Can someone talk me in to Diarra or Femi? As I see it, we have room for 1 more likely starter (assuming Alleyne is the 6th man). I don’t think either of those guys are fit for that role. We need an immediate 25MPG impact guy. I feel like we could do much better than Diarra or Femi if we are offering a starting spot. They would be good bench pieces though. I know Femi started at Pitt, but Pitt stinks so that’s not really saying that much…

 

[bendm]

Can someone talk me in to Diarra or Femi? As I see it, we have room for 1 more likely starter (assuming Alleyne is the 6th man). I don’t think either of those guys are fit for that role. We need an immediate 25MPG impact guy.

would it help if you accepted that alleyne is probably going to start and we need a 20 mpg CG off the bench instead? odds are alleyne is not coming here to be the sixth man after averaging over 30 mpg on a tourney team.

with our last rotation player we just need someone who will contribute more than floyd would have next year. femi definitely will. pretty confident an upperclassman diarra will too. diarra just makes too much sense with his connections.

 

[willie99]

Hmmm, sounds a bit like Corey Floyd, Jr.

Think he wants start now

 

[Hungryhusky99]

would it help if you accept that alleyne is probably going to start and we need a 20 mpg CG off the bench instead? odds are alleyne is not coming here to be the sixth man after averaging over 30 mpg on a tourney team.

with our last rotation spot we just need someone who will contribute more than floyd would have next year. femi definitely will. i think an upperclassman diarra will too.

Alleyne is definitely starting. He didn’t leave 30 mpg at Va Tech to play 20 here.

 

[superjohn]

would it help if you accept that alleyne is probably going to start and we need a 20 mpg CG off the bench instead? odds are alleyne is not coming here to be the sixth man after averaging over 30 mpg on a tourney team.

with our last rotation spot we just need someone who will contribute more than floyd would have next year. femi definitely will. pretty confident an upperclassman diarra will too. diarra just makes too much sense with his connections.

We need another starter.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Can someone talk me in to Diarra or Femi? As I see it, we have room for 1 more likely starter (assuming Alleyne is the 6th man). I don’t think either of those guys are fit for that role. We need an immediate 25MPG impact guy. I feel like we could do much better than Diarra or Femi if we are offering a starting spot. They would be good bench pieces though. I know Femi started at Pitt, but Pitt stinks so that’s not really saying that much…

I’m not sure you should assume Alleyne is the sixth man. Even if he is, it would mean he’s behind Hawkins, and not behind a transfer we don’t have yet. As I see it, our two most likely starting lineups are:

Newton, Alleyne, Hawkins, Jackson, Sanogo
Or
Newton, Hawkins, Jackson, Johnson, Sanogo

In either scenario, we’re not looking for another starter. If we’re going to start Newton, Alleyne, and Hawkins (and in either scenario, really), then we definitely need two guards who can play meaningful minutes off the bench. Castle and Femi/Diarra would fit. I’m not necessarily advocating for either. I’m just saying the role they’d be coming to fill would be off the bench.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

New rule - we're going to start 6 - 7 guys. Discussions are over.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

What tea leaves?

They’re out there in various threads

 

[aburks41]

We need another starter.

This is what I think too. I’m not convinced Alleyne or Johnson are locked into getting starter minutes (depending on the lineup). Because if Castle reclasses, he is starting day 1. If Castle doesn’t reclass, then we are still looking for a day 1 starter.

Donald Carey should be our #1 portal target right now

 

[Hungryhusky99]

We need another starter.

The starting lineup is set whether we like it or not.

 

[aburks41]

The starting lineup is set whether we like it or not.

Why? The overwhelming consensus here when Alleyne transferred was that he was the perfect 6th man. And I am not sold on locking Johnson in to the 4 spot from day 1. We are definitely still looking for another starting guard.

 

[bigknight3]

Why? The overwhelming consensus here when Alleyne transferred was that he was the perfect 6th man. And I am not sold on locking Johnson in to the 4 spot from day 1. We are definitely still looking for another starting guard.

I don't think that was the overwhelming consensus.

I’m not sure you should assume Alleyne is the sixth man. Even if he is, it would mean he’s behind Hawkins, and not behind a transfer we don’t have yet. As I see it, our two most likely starting lineups are:

Newton, Alleyne, Hawkins, Jackson, Sanogo
Or
Newton, Hawkins, Jackson, Johnson, Sanogo

Toolzie's summary was accurate. These are the two scenarios as it stands now. And more people think option 1 is more likely that 2 based on Hurley's 4 out & 1 in comments.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

Why? The overwhelming consensus here when Alleyne transferred was that he was the perfect 6th man. And I am not sold on locking Johnson in to the 4 spot from day 1. We are definitely still looking for another starting guard.

He is the perfect 6th man, but I don’t think he would’ve signed up for that. Borges’ article also literally says we are looking for a guard who will start out on the bench and potentially earn a starting spot in future years.

 

[microfich]

I don't think they was the overwhelming consensus.



Toolzie's summary was accurate. These are the two scenarios as it stands now. And more people think option 1 is more likely that 2 based on Hurley's 4 out & 1 in comments.

I don’t see how Johnson starts until he shows he can play defense. He finished the season that way.

 

[HuskyHawk]

He is the perfect 6th man, but I don’t think he would’ve signed up for that. Borges’ article also literally says we are looking for a guard who will start out on the bench and potentially earn a starting spot in future years.

It really doesn't matter what he signed up for. Remy Martin played 33 mpg for Arizona State, was preseason Big XII player of the year and ended up being the 6th man and playing 21 a game for Kansas. It wasn't what he signed up for either, but it worked.

I don't think we know who will start. I don't think the staff knows. I don't think the same players start at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. It's going to take some tinkering to figure out our best lineup, and it may need to be situational. Start Alleyne vs St. Johns, start Johnson/Karaban vs Georgetown or Creighton.

As for Castle, if he expects to start then he probably shouldn't come early. He's not Kobe. He's not a one and done if he reclasses.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

It really doesn't matter what he signed up for. Remy Martin played 33 mpg for Arizona State, was preseason Big XII player of the year and ended up being the 6th man and playing 21 a game for Kansas. It wasn't what he signed up for either, but it worked.

I don't think we know who will start. I don't think the staff knows. I don't think the same players start at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. It's going to take some tinkering to figure out our best lineup, and it may need to be situational. Start Alleyne vs St. Johns, start Johnson/Karaban vs Georgetown or Creighton.

As for Castle, if he expects to start then he probably shouldn't come early. He's not Kobe. He's not a one and done if he reclasses.

Sure he can play himself out of that role, but I am talking about the starting lineup to start the year which is going to impact the rest of the recruiting cycle whether you think it should or not. Remy started the season out as a starter, but that is an entirely different situation. All I am saying is that if you don't think Alleyne was promised a significant role to come here you don't understand how this all works. If we were truly after someone better than Alleyne we would've been linked to them by now.

 

[aburks41]

Sure he can play himself out of that role, but I am talking about the starting lineup to start the year which is going to impact the rest of the recruiting cycle whether you think it should or not. Remy started the season out as a starter, but that is an entirely different situation. All I am saying is that if you don't think Alleyne was promised a significant role to come here you don't understand how this all works. If we were truly after someone better than Alleyne we would've been linked to them by now.

There is still room for one more 25MPG guard before we move on to filling out the 5-10MPG bench pieces though. 25MPG means starting caliber guard in my mind. I feel like we can find someone better than Femi or Diarra for that role.