Things that make you go hmmm ?

[the Blades]

Would be nice for this years Uconn BB team....different rules for different sports I guess....but I wonder why the NCAA allows this?......Down a few players (a Finnish player left mid-season to play elite pro in Europe).... the men's Hockey team not only grabs a guy who already signed a NCAA letter of intent to play for Wisconsin..but one who's already been drafted by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres:

From Jacobs article:
"College hockey is fascinating. Although it's not exactly de rigueur, it's also not unique that players will join a program during the Christmas break. Could you imagine with injuries to Terry Larrier, Alterique Gilbert and Mamadou Diarra, if Kevin Ollie could reach into some junior league and pluck a shooter or rebounder at Christmas?

"We lost Jeff Wight [for the season with a shoulder injury], and we were down to one extra forward," UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said. "When Joona decided to leave, I'm like, 'Oh, damn.' We've got one extra defenseman right now, and it's not fair to the guys on the team if I don't go out and actively look for another player who can help us. God forbid we get another injury on defense. Then we have no extra bodies."

that's all....
Jeff Jacobs: UConn Hockey Team Sees Nyberg As Valuable Midseason Acquisition

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

There is no doubt UConn needs added depth. I felt there was no way UConn would have lost at Ohio State if they had their full healthy season opening roster. They had 7 bodies to play and faded at the end of the game despite leading most of the second half. Unfortunately it will not be the last loss like that this year. It's a shorthanded team, there is no help in sight and they will be lucky to finish the season with a good enough record to get into the NIT. Upcoming are home games against Auburn and Houston which might both be tough games.

 

[aman kidwai]

I mean, technically Ollie could, it's just that none of those losses opened up a scholarship.

 

[the Blades]

I mean, technically Ollie could, it's just that none of those losses opened up a scholarship.

I know KO gave one to Noyes the walk-on (#12)....but I thought he had one open for the rest of the year..Can't bring in a guy that's been drafted by the pros or one who signed with another D-1 school like the hockey team did...... but how about a mid-season JUCO? ( PS- I don't think KO's used all 13 ships in 2 or 3 years now, except as a reward to a walk-on)

 

[the Blades]

I know KO gave one to Noyes the walk-on (#12)....but I thought he had one open for the rest of the year..Can't bring in a guy that's been drafted by the pros or one who signed with another D-1 school like the hockey team did...... but how about a mid-season JUCO? ( PS- I don't think KO's used all 13 ships in 2 or 3 years now, except as a reward to a walk-on)

Hartford Courant : UConn Men Could Get Second-Half Gift If Recruit Diallo Makes Move To College

From the article: " If Diallo is accepted and enrolls at UConn, he could play right away, now that the first semester is over. He would not have to wait until the start
of the second semester. It would be a case with similarities to Philip Nyberg, from Sweden, who has enrolled at UConn for the spring semester and could begin
playing any time.... "

Also: "If he enrolls in college now, it would give him the chance to play college basketball, and still test the NBA draft next spring...."

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

It's really an amazing set of circumstances that have collided together which may lead to us seeing Diallo in a UConn uniform within a week.

First you have a string of 3 season ending injuries to UConn players that all happen within about a week. Then you have Diallo fortuitously graduating. Then you have UConn having an open scholarship. Then you have Diallo who has the opportunity to play for less than a full season in college and test the NBA draft waters. It's an amazing set of circumstances. What it somewhat reminds me of is when the Yankees ended up trading to get Alex Rodriguez after Aaron Boone tore his ACL playing pickup basketball between the 2003 and 2004 seasons. ARod might never have been a Yankee had that injury not happened and the Yankees were desperate to get a starting 3B. It should be remembered that ARod at the time was an all star shortstop but it was believed, correctly, that his defensive skills would enable him to adapt and eventually become a good third baseman which he was.

In the case of Diallo, UConn at the moment has a short guard rotation and needs a 4th guard badly. If he can handle the ball a little better than Purvis then this will relieve a lot of pressure on the guards and UConn will not have to play zone defense as much as they have been. Purvis needs to have the ball out of his hands and needs to get it ideally only when he is open. UConn has had to pick its spots with the man to man but against SU the last 8 minutes was a defensive explosion and UConn has been very good on D ever since. They need another ball handler and if Diallo can stick a few 3s here and there he will be just what the basketball doctor ordered!!!!!!!

 

[USNA90]

As I've often written, it was an incredible mixture of forethought and genius by the UConn staff, making the decision to not use all their scholarships!!

By the way, KSTW, you must be the only Yankee fan who thinks it's fortuitous that the Yanks got stuck with ARod. They're still going to be paying him for the 2017 season.

 

[andersonfro]

Always a good idea to stash one for a rainy day

 

[Ozzie3178]

Temper expectations a bit fellas.....

Hami will OV us for sure here soon and as of now will take another OV

 

[the Blades]

Temper expectations a bit fellas.....

Hami will OV us for sure here soon and as of now will take another OV

......... !!!

 

[Ozzie3178]

......... !!!

Hahah Blades that is coming from horses mouth.

Of course I believe he will strongly end up being a husky been saying that for two years now, but I just read that some are saying Enroll tomorrow and be ready to go against auburn is ridiculous!
Let it play out and hopefully we get to see him more than a semester

 

[the Blades]

I hear ya !!!

 

[the Blades]

“I think he’s ready to move on and make a decision,” Espinosa told the Norwich Bulletin before the UConn visit was set up. “He hasn’t made any official visits yet, so I don’t think it will happen until the spring, but enough is enough. His phone blows up every second with brand names, coaches, reporters. I get tons of calls. I think it’s time. He needs to focus on basketball and school.”

 

[Ozzie3178]

Also I'm told that don't assume he will go to the NBA draft this coming June.

 

[Ozzie3178]

Schools are Us Uk and Zona

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

By the way, KSTW, you must be the only Yankee fan who thinks it's fortuitous that the Yanks got stuck with ARod. They're still going to be paying him for the 2017 season.

The Yankees had no agenda to get ARod, like UConn now they had an injury to a player and there were no 3rd baseman on the market. ARod was not a third baseman but an All Star shortstop for Texas whose name was thrown out on trades that offseason and the Yankees realized he could solve their 3rd baseman problem.

On balance ARod was a very good player for the Yankees. He got a contract that was silly in 2007 and it ended badly for him (he was awful this year albeit productive last year). The Yankees did not have to pay him for the year he was suspended so they did get some relief.

I brought him up because the same unusual circumstances that caused him to become a Yankees may similarly lead Diallo into a UConn uniform.

 

[Ozzie3178]

No kstw. No unusual circumstance is leading us to Diallo.

It is called long and hard recruiting and building relationships that is bringing my man here!!

 

[andersonfro]

Miller's been at that kid's gym every day forever & KO has been showing the right love.

No comparison between a coach living at psa building a relationship and the yanks making a dude the highest paid player in history

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

No comparison between a coach living at psa building a relationship and the yanks making a dude the highest paid player in history

That was 4 years after the Yankees got ARod, actually when they acquired him it was in a trade and it was motivated by the same reason why UConn wants Diallo NOW: replacement of an injured body/bodies. It's true UConn was already involved with Diallo before the injuries cleared PT ,but before the injuries cleared PT, Kentucky was the strong and away leader for Diallo according to 247 Sports as Malik Monk will almost certainly go pro after this season. It was also 247 Sports that broke this story that things had changed.

 

[Ozzie3178]

That is dumb on your part for believing anything from 247!

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

That is dumb on your part for believing anything from 247!

It was 247 that broke the story according to every single article that has been posted in this and the other thread........................I am not the one posting these articles, the other guys on the board are.

 

[andersonfro]

That was 4 years after the Yankees got ARod, actually when they acquired him it was in a trade and it was motivated by the same reason why UConn wants Diallo NOW: replacement of an injured body/bodies. It's true UConn was already involved with Diallo before the injuries cleared PT ,but before the injuries cleared PT, Kentucky was the strong and away leader for Diallo according to 247 Sports as Malik Monk will almost certainly go pro after this season. It was also 247 Sports that broke this story that things had changed.

I don't think injuries have anything to do with it. Uconn has an available scholarship & it looks like he wants to get some work in at the collegiate level before he works out for the draft. If his feedback isn't what he hopes then he'll be back to develop. Sounds like a great deal to me.

The only way Kentucky looks appealing is if he wants to limit exposure by surrounding himself with 5 star talent. It's been done before but then he's got to lose in march & be stalked by 40-year-old men in a flyover state so...yeah, lame.

 

[UConnFamily]

No available scholarships at UK.

Can't see diallo going anywhere but UConn if it's for this year. He's never visited UK or Zona and why would he pack up and move across the country to somewhere he has no family or familiarity with.

If it's a decision for next year then UK and Zona are legitimate options

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

The one thing Kentucky can offer is they are now doing a special combine in which pro scouts can come and look at all their players. Duke is doing the same. These schools are using this as a recruiting tool with 5 star players and telling them we can work you out in front of pro scouts, maximize your exposure and sell teams on drafting you very high. However Kentucky already had their pro combine day this year so that should not create any advantage. For next year Kentucky could be a contender because Kentucky's best player is Malik Monk who plays the same position and he is a certifiable one and done player based on the games I have seen him play so far. He is an electrifying talent - great shooter and great athlete. Once he goes he will need to be replaced. For this year I would think UConn has to be the leader.

 

[Ozzie3178]

Highly doubt Hami is lookin at the draft this June