The Future of Connecticut Basketball...

• Azubuike24

  

  Facing NCAA sanctions, ineligible for next year's NCAA Tournament, will lose a great majority of their team. You have to figure Drummond, Lamb, Napier and possibly Smith, Oriakhi, Boatwright and Daniels all bail. Jim Calhoun is almost certain to retire.
  
  Where do the Huskies go? What will their future be like? It's an interesting topic.
• Manhattan Buckeye

  Very interesting. UConn was not much of anything before Calhoun arrived, and whether you question his ethics or not he built a national program. Not sure if anyone else has been to Storrs, but its not the type of place that many basketball players want to live, yet Calhoun still reeled them in, particularly from the NYC area. Without a homegrown talent pool and moderate (at best) facilities, it will be interesting to see where the program goes.
• wildcats20

  

  They are getting a brand new practice facility. They have 2 home courts. They have money coming in from BOTH men's and women's programs.
  
  They will be fine IMO. They will get a young guy in there, no idea who, but they will. It might be a few years, but they will be back.
• Ironman92

  

  Hopefully they follow St. Johns after Chris Mullin and Lou Carneseca left
• Manhattan Buckeye

  ^^^ Could see it happen, Connecticut was an absolute nobody prior to 1990 in the modern era. They share some similarities with SJU, having two "home" courts and splitting their home games. Connecticut's on-campus facility is better than SJU's, but SJU gets to play in MSG whereas UConn played in craptacular Hartford. Their campuses are challenges, since SJU is in the hood and UConn is like 97% white in the smallest town in the Big East (I had a roommate whose father is a professor at UConn - he called the town "Snores" - absolutely nothing to do there but drink. Also, we'll see how the Big East fares with the recent defections. I'm sure UConn would love to join the ACC and it would certainly help the program's future, but that seems unlikely now.
• Big Gain

  Is better than the future of Syracuse basketball.
• Azubuike24

  

  One of the big off-season stories to follow will be Connecticut center Alex Oriakhi. With their ban from next year's NCAA Tournament, the Junior Oriakhi will be eligible to transfer to any school and become eligible right away. As a Sophomore, Oriakhi score 10 PPG and grabbed almost 9 RPG for a National Title winning team. His minutes dropped almost 9 MPG last year with the addition of Andre Drummond, although it was clear that Oriakhi was more effective and seemed to give more consistent effort than Drummond. Oriakhi, the #21 overall player in the nation in the 2009 class (5th overall center behind Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and Tiny Gallon) was also recruited by Ohio State, Kentucky, Florida and a few others.
  
  He would be a welcome addition to any team IMO, and an immediate starter on most. From everything I've read, he's one of the "good eggs" that was on an otherwise, shaky Connecticut team this year.
• sportswizuhrd

  Azubuike24;1121690 wrote:One of the big off-season stories to follow will be Connecticut center Alex Oriakhi. With their ban from next year's NCAA Tournament, the Junior Oriakhi will be eligible to transfer to any school and become eligible right away. As a Sophomore, Oriakhi score 10 PPG and grabbed almost 9 RPG for a National Title winning team. His minutes dropped almost 9 MPG last year with the addition of Andre Drummond, although it was clear that Oriakhi was more effective and seemed to give more consistent effort than Drummond. Oriakhi, the #21 overall player in the nation in the 2009 class (5th overall center behind Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton and Tiny Gallon) was also recruited by Ohio State, Kentucky, Florida and a few others.
  
  He would be a welcome addition to any team IMO, and an immediate starter on most. From everything I've read, he's one of the "good eggs" that was on an otherwise, shaky Connecticut team this year.

  As a Husky fan I will chime in.
  
  Totally forgot about the transfers being eligible right away. That changes my mind about Boatright and AO. I think both are gone now.
  
  Oriakhi was one of the guys mentioned last week by Jeff Goodman(CBS) on the Van Pelt show last week when asked how the locker room was after the game. Napier seemed to the most pissed off player(he really took over as the leader late in the season) after the game because of how players(AO, Lamb, Olander, Drummond) were laughing and joking around in the lockerroom(and were saw with smiles on the bench. This team is in a disarray and will be for a few years. Unless Calhoun does not want to go out this way(health problems and a horrible season), I say he turns the program over now to his predecessor Kevin Ollie.
  
  Goodman also said that perhaps getting Drummond was the worst thing for this team and that he could really use another year because he is a freak of nature and a great kid but really seems disinterested playing basketball.
• Azubuike24

  

  I believe the rule will only allow Juniors to become eligible right away, as the ban is only 1 season. The Sophomores and Freshman would not be, although they are free to transfer and the school isn't able to block their releases. In that case, seeing that Boatwright, Daniels, Smith, Napier, Lamb and Drummond would all have to sit out a year so I'd figure that might take the transfer route out of the mix. Maybe Smith or Daniels, but not the other 4...
• reclegend22

  

  sportswizuhrd;1122219 wrote:As a Husky fan I will chime in.
  
  Totally forgot about the transfers being eligible right away. That changes my mind about Boatright and AO. I think both are gone now.
  
  Oriakhi was one of the guys mentioned last week by Jeff Goodman(CBS) on the Van Pelt show last week when asked how the locker room was after the game. Napier seemed to the most pissed off player(he really took over as the leader late in the season) after the game because of how players(AO, Lamb, Olander, Drummond) were laughing and joking around in the lockerroom(and were saw with smiles on the bench. This team is in a disarray and will be for a few years. Unless Calhoun does not want to go out this way(health problems and a horrible season), I say he turns the program over now to his predecessor Kevin Ollie.
  
  Goodman also said that perhaps getting Drummond was the worst thing for this team and that he could really use another year because he is a freak of nature and a great kid but really seems disinterested playing basketball.

  I know Ollie is a former UConn standout, but he's only been on the staff for, what, two or three years? Is he for sure the predecessor? Interesting. I would have thought there might be a national coaching search when Calhoun stepped down, since his right-hand man, George Blaney, was the same age as Bob Hope.
  
  At one time, I remember people saying that Thad Matta could be a possible flight risk in Columbus if the job in Storrs opened (I would highly argue against this now, however, as Thad has rebuilt an elite program now), and that Sean Miller might be a hot candidate.
• Azubuike24

  

  I don't see many OSU fans reading this thread, which is good, because most won't see the suggestion of Matta to UConn idea. You would be crushed for even suggesting that...
  
  This is an interesting scenario though. Despite numerous problems with the program, including the upcoming probation, Jim Calhoun still holds the keys to the city. He's going to decide the future, to a large degree. If that means Kevin Ollie, then so be it.
  
  It's very interesting though that the guy who built the program and who the next coach will have to follow, WITH ADVERSITY, will also have a hand in who replaces him. Most other positions in a similar spot would be looking to basically fill the spot and turn the page from that era. Here, it seems like they want a changing of the guard but to also have a smooth transition.
• reclegend22

  

  [Insert Grant Gibbs face.]
• Prescott

  Matta is a midwest guy. I highly doubt that UConn would on Matta's radar.
• Azubuike24

  

  Sounds like Shaka Smart may hold out for UConn. He's got a quality team returning to VCU. They return 7 of their top 8 scorers, losing only Bradford Burgess. They bring in a 3-star wing, Jordan Burgess, Bradford's younger brother.
  
  They should be an NCAA Tournament team, definitely the CAA favorite, so I could see Shaka waiting 1 year and then taking over a UConn team off probation.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Azubuike24;1122506 wrote:Sounds like Shaka Smart may hold out for UConn. He's got a quality team returning to VCU. They return 7 of their top 8 scorers, losing only Bradford Burgess. They bring in a 3-star wing, Jordan Burgess, Bradford's younger brother.
  
  They should be an NCAA Tournament team, definitely the CAA favorite, so I could see Shaka waiting 1 year and then taking over a UConn team off probation.

  It's like the Beerfest scene where they just replace the guy with his brother lol
• reclegend22

  

  According to some surfing I did on the UConn board, the general consensus of all 13 fans there seems to be that Calhoun leaving isn't even a discussion. That's obviously a very small and unreliable sample size, however, and doesn't really mean anything anyway. But I have to agree with them that Calhoun will try and coach as long as he can until he's removed from the gym in a bag. It's at least admirable.
  
  Shaka is a good call. That would make sense and, along with Brad Stevens, he's probably one of the two best elite young coaches in America, with a guarantee to get a call from pretty much any major heavyweight program in the country if a job opens up.
  
  What about Brad Stevens? UConn, a storied basketball giant located in a smaller college town similar to the pastoral and modest image that Stevens seems to want his program to portray, might be a perfect fit for the head man from tiny Butler. Not sure if Stevens has much of a recruiting network in the northeast, however, or if that would be a major factor. Smart would seem to be in firmer ground having recruited the East Coast heavily while at VCU.
• SportsAndLady

  

  I said Brad Stevens to UCONN a long, long time ago. Like, after final four #1. Just seems like a perfect fit to me.
• reclegend22

  

  Definitely agreed.
• Laley23

  

  Smart turning down Illinois (or rumored to have done so) kind of makes sense for him to jump to UCONN if that becomes available. Its a better program, with more history (albeit all recent, but thats a good thing), and he will remain top dog in a conference (or top 3 at the very least).
  
  Question is, does he take it this year, or does he wait out the probation. If he waits, does UCONN go for a 1 year stop-gap hoping to land Smart, or do they get a quality coach that they then kind of fall in love with and dont fire. Interesting to say the least.
• Azubuike24

  

  http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/UConn-s-Alex-Oriakhi-transferring-3424685.php
  
  Well, he's officially leaving. Will be an immediate impact player wherever he goes, and will be eligible right away.
• gorocks99

  

  Where are the potential destinations? I'd imagine he'd look to stay East Coast being from Mass.
• Azubuike24

  

  To early to tell, but I said it in the recruiting thread, would not be surprised at all if he ends up at Ohio State. Especially if Sullinger leaves.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Come on over to Lawrence, Alex, and let Danny Manning turn you into a lottery pick.
• Azubuike24

  

  Do you know did KU ever recruit him initially? That wouldn't be a bad destination either.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Not sure. I don't think so. I think he was ALL UCONN. I haven't even seen an offer list that wasn't just UCONN.