Zags: Mustapha Heron transferring

[andy34]

I understand it's a business but run the kid off politely when you sign on as the HC. June is ridiculous.

Except its not a business... it SHOULD be, but these kids don't get legitimately paid, and don't have the rights that legal employees do. If a kid is essentially failing out anyway, that's one thing, but I can't just rubber stamp booting out a kid Hurley just re-recruited.

 

[amsterdamjade]

Even if he were to come Hurley does not have to pull a scholarship player. He can be a walk on and pay his own way. There is no limit to how many walk on players there can be, only a limit to scholarship players(13). There is no way coach would take anybody off scholarship to add Heron. That would be a bush league move.

 

[jimva]

You guys gotta be kidding me with the higher moral ground this isn’t 3rd grade athletics and there are no participation trophies

Amen

 

[superjohn]

No surprise that the guy who rooted for UConn men's basketball to lose games has no issue with yanking players off of scholarship in June after the coach has already told them they're on board for the next season.

Every coach finds room if a major talent wants to join the team. My guess is he goes to St. John's but it's already been stated there is a player who is not in good academic standing.

Don't know why you guys are pretending that finding room for more talent would be some new shady practice when our legendary coach and every other coach does it.

 

[jimva]

Except its not a business... it SHOULD be, but these kids don't get legitimately paid, and don't have the rights that legal employees do. If a kid is essentially failing out anyway, that's one thing, but I can't just rubber stamp booting out a kid Hurley just re-recruited.

But if they weren't playing basketball would they have gotten into UCONN? I am not bothered by this. Its the game these kids have been in for years. Is AAU any different? My son plays Tier 1 hockey at U18 level and I have watched teams bring kids in and out every year to become more competitive. Basketball at this level can't be any different. So why should college be?

 

[AntG168]

Heron is a stud. Heron + JA with a healthy rique could make a Final 4 run if our bigs are serviceable

 

[BlueMAB]

Slice left St. John's two years ago.

I see you didn't read through my entire post.

 

[UConnSwag11]

After reading all these comments seems like we should take him if there’d be no problems

 

[UChusky916]

Still here hoping someone could provide info related to who on UConn's roster is in academic trouble.

 

[BlueMAB]

All that probably doesn't matter anymore with his mom being sick.

The part about getting out of CT was in response to the poster he said UConn was the "last place he wanted to play".

The rest was moot because Slice left SJU.

I'd apologize for wasting people's time, but at least the post was on topic.

 

[Stainmaster]

Every coach finds room if a major talent wants to join the team. My guess is he goes to St. John's but it's already been stated there is a player who is not in good academic standing.

Don't know why you guys are pretending that finding room for more talent would be some new shady practice when our legendary coach and every other coach does it.

It's about timing, and running kids off in June may end up making it more difficult for Hurley to make up for the ground the program lost on the recruiting trail. I'm pretty sure nobody here would have any problem with Hurley having that conversation with a kid in late March or April, as every other coaches does.

Insiders have let it drop that Hurley spent a lot of time actively convincing much of the current roster to stay here and ensuring their importance to the team. To turn around now and give kids the boot at this point in the year after putting in that kind of work is not common, and it's a can of worms I'd much prefer not to open. Again, Hurley and staff have a significant hole to dig out of when it comes to other coaches recruiting negatively against UConn and maligning the honesty of the people in charge. Hurley can do what he wants with this and he'll have everyone's support, but it's not some no-brainer without any possible consequences.

 

[BlueMAB]

It's about timing, and running kids off in June may end up making it more difficult for Hurley to make up for the ground the program lost on the recruiting trail. I'm pretty sure nobody here would have any problem with Hurley having that conversation with a kid in late March or April, as every other coaches does.

This.

 

[KembaStepback]

It's about timing, and running kids off in June may end up making it more difficult for Hurley to make up for the ground the program lost on the recruiting trail. I'm pretty sure nobody here would have any problem with Hurley having that conversation with a kid in late March or April, as every other coaches does.

Insiders have let it drop that Hurley spent a lot of time actively convincing much of the current roster to stay here and ensuring their importance to the team. To turn around now and give kids the boot at this point in the year after putting in that kind of work is not common, and it's a can of worms I'd much prefer not to open. Again, Hurley and staff have a significant hole to dig out of when it comes to other coaches recruiting negatively against UConn and maligning the honesty of the people in charge. Hurley can do what he wants with this and he'll have everyone's support, but it's not some no-brainer without any possible consequences.

I think it's a tough balance because I think his main concern should be winning. If he feels Heron can come in and help us win the AAC and win a few tournament games, that would really help put some juice back into the program. At the same point, essentially booting someone this late isn't a good look. Im sure he'll weigh all the options and see what happens.

 

[Jaybird65]

And we are assuming Dan Hurley is interested....maybe someone going to the "Happy Hour" tomorrow should ask him....

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

It's about timing, and running kids off in June may end up making it more difficult for Hurley to make up for the ground the program lost on the recruiting trail. I'm pretty sure nobody here would have any problem with Hurley having that conversation with a kid in late March or April, as every other coaches does.

Insiders have let it drop that Hurley spent a lot of time actively convincing much of the current roster to stay here and ensuring their importance to the team. To turn around now and give kids the boot at this point in the year after putting in that kind of work is not common, and it's a can of worms I'd much prefer not to open. Again, Hurley and staff have a significant hole to dig out of when it comes to other coaches recruiting negatively against UConn and maligning the honesty of the people in charge. Hurley can do what he wants with this and he'll have everyone's support, but it's not some no-brainer without any possible consequences.

Well put. I just can't understand people who don't want Heron because of past comments he made about UConn or because he passed on us in general.

 

[Stainmaster]

Well put. I just can't understand people who don't want Heron because of past comments he made about UConn or because he passed on us in general.

If we had a) an open scholarship and b) assurances that he was reasonably clean from an NCAA standpoint, Hurley should've been speeding down I-84 yesterday and sealing the deal -- no excuses.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If we had a) an open scholarship and b) assurances that he was reasonably clean from an NCAA standpoint, Hurley should've been speeding down I-84 yesterday and sealing the deal -- no excuses.

Absolutely. I assume if they do pursue him they've done their due diligence re: the NCAA issue. The thing is we don't have a scholarship. If we're talking about removing a scholarship from a current player who is failing his classes, that's one thing. If we're talking about arbitrarily taking away a scholarship from a current player because he's not as good as Heron, that's a risk. Hurley has to weigh the cost of potentially alienating his current players and losing their trust.

 

[6xChamps]

This is a long shot but is it possible for a basketball player to get a full ride based on academics or no? I ask because Tarin Smith was valedictorian of his class in high school. Guessing he is a really smart dude, but figure if you could give out scholarships based on academics then everyone would do it.

 

[ASweet3781]

Do the people preening about ethics remember the time we were passed over for the Power 5 for the most renegade athletics program of this era? Fun times.

It is completely reasonable for a new coach to be honest with the roster he inherited. If Hurley believes Heron would be an asset compared to a current player who is not in the teams plans he is allowed to be honest with the kid. What do you think happened with the 3 commits?

 

[Stainmaster]

Absolutely. I assume if they do pursue him they've done their due diligence re: the NCAA issue. The thing is we don't have a scholarship. If we're talking about removing a scholarship from a current player who is failing his classes, that's one thing. If we're talking about arbitrarily taking away a scholarship from a current player because he's not as good as Heron, that's a risk. Hurley has to weigh the cost of potentially alienating his current players and losing their trust.

And to reiterate, there's a distinct difference between taking that scholarship away in the early Spring and taking it away now.

 

[Stainmaster]

What do you think happened with the 3 commits?

Hurley was up front and honest with them and released all 3 from their LOIs well in advance of the Spring signing period, giving them plenty of time to find new homes at the many DI programs still looking to fill out their 2018–19 rosters.

Apples and oranges.

 

[UconnU]

Interesting tidbit on the family friend Slice, it was an ugly exit with St. Johns he wasn't given much of a role and was forced out of his contract after the first year of a 6 year deal.

Barry "Slice" Rohrssen and St. John’s have officially parted ways.

 

[Stainmaster]

Interesting tidbit on the family friend Slice, it was an ugly exit with St. Johns he wasn't given much of a role and was forced out of his contract.

Barry "Slice" Rohrssen and St. John’s have officially parted ways.

Any idea where he's been the past few years? Weird to see a guy that (relatively) young completely drop out of the coaching profession.

 

[UconnU]

Any idea where he's been the past few years? Weird to see a guy that (relatively) young completely drop out of the coaching profession.

I don't know. I know he interviewed for the Rutgers job. He has a reputation of being a little sketchy.

 

[CardiffGiant]

And we are assuming Dan Hurley is interested....maybe someone going to the "Happy Hour" tomorrow should ask him....

Not sure he can comment on a transferring player BUT a tactfully worded question about whether the roster is set or something like that may do the trick.