Diamond Stone (Committed to Maryland)

[uconnever]

First of all, I am a young guy who is not at all into social media so I don't really know the inner workings of how they work. Yesterday or today. .I forget, someone posted something about him and I read it. His name was highlighted and I touched it and it took me to his twitter which I'm unfamiliar with. I saw he had pics so I looked at them about ten of them. If that makes me a stalker then I'm a stalker. I don't follow these guys recruiting no where near some of you guys and would t even know where to start if I wanted to. Not everyone on here should take this to heart but alot of you guys can't even stay on the thread topic. Like I said I'm not into social media but doesn't it go #LOSERS.

 

[johnhuskies95]

First of all, I am a young guy who is not at all into social media so I don't really know the inner workings of how they work. Yesterday or today. .I forget, someone posted something about him and I read it. His name was highlighted and I touched it and it took me to his twitter which I'm unfamiliar with. I saw he had pics so I looked at them about ten of them. If that makes me a stalker then I'm a stalker. I don't follow these guys recruiting no where near some of you guys and would t even know where to start if I wanted to. Not everyone on here should take this to heart but alot of you guys can't even stay on the thread topic. Like I said I'm not into social media but doesn't it go #LOSERS.

Relax.

 

[intlzncster]

Yes and No. The one thing I have gained out of his recruitment is that they are taking a very sober, non-emotional look at their options and focusing on what is best for his development over all other factors. That is a very mature, organized way of looking at things compared to some of the recruitments we see(weather, lifestyle, shiny objects).

Either way he goes I have nothing but respect for a kid who chooses as his two finalists Ollie and Bo Ryan. You know the kid is not afraid of some tough, hard work for the next few years, and values high integrity and class.

Exactly. The only one I've seen do it better is Kasongo.

 

[David 76]

Wisconsin came pretty close last year. I could see them making a pitch that he would put them over the top. Tough choice. Ollie will have had to "Wow" him to overcome all of Wisc's advantages.
I think our chances are about 40% (based on nothing)

 

[husky99]

Wisconsin came pretty close last year. I could see them making a pitch that he would put them over the top. Tough choice. Ollie will have had to "Wow" him to overcome all of Wisc's advantages.
I think our chances are about 40% (based on nothing)

I think you are correct on this

 

[RedDog]

First of all, I am a young guy who is not at all into social media so I don't really know the inner workings of how they work. Yesterday or today. .I forget, someone posted something about him and I read it. His name was highlighted and I touched it and it took me to his twitter which I'm unfamiliar with. I saw he had pics so I looked at them about ten of them. If that makes me a stalker then I'm a stalker. I don't follow these guys recruiting no where near some of you guys and would t even know where to start if I wanted to. Not everyone on here should take this to heart but alot of you guys can't even stay on the thread topic. Like I said I'm not into social media but doesn't it go #LOSERS.

Hey, at the boneyard, we're all stalkers. Some of us are grown men that study and analyze everything that comes out of a teenager's mouth (or twitter account).

Example: random tall 16 year old tweet: I'm going for ice cream.

Us: He likes ice cream! That means he'll go to the dairy bar and UConn

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Wisconsin came pretty close last year. I could see them making a pitch that he would put them over the top. Tough choice. Ollie will have had to "Wow" him to overcome all of Wisc's advantages.
I think our chances are about 40% (based on nothing)

That would make sense if it was for this year. Except Kaminsky and Dekker will most likely be gone by the time he gets to campus.

Id say we will be in a much much better position to go for the "put us over the top" pitch than Wisconsin.

 

[kansashusky]

I believe this will be one of those "hope he commits on the visit or shortly after because the longer he waits, the less of a chance we have"

Does that make sense?

More time he thinks, the more time the hometown bias can come into play.

 

[selles]

I believe this will be one of those "hope he commits on the visit or shortly after because the longer he waits, the less of a chance we have"

Does that make sense?

More time he thinks, the more time the hometown bias can come into play.

Doesn't he already have a set date to commit live on ESPN? Some time in November I thought.

This one seems pretty clear to me from reading various boards. Dad wants him to go to Wisconsin. Diamond isn't quite sure. If he goes anywhere other than Wisky, it will be here because he really likes KO.

Solid position to be in and a credit to our coach for getting us here, no matter how it turns out.

 

[B1GEast]

The magic 8 ball calls Stone for Uconn. Settle down folks, there's no better place, he'll come to that conclusion

 

[Huskyforlife]

Y

I believe this will be one of those "hope he commits on the visit or shortly after because the longer he waits, the less of a chance we have"

Does that make sense?

More time he thinks, the more time the hometown bias can come into play.

yea that's pretty much it

 

[Dmike]

I believe this will be one of those "hope he commits on the visit or shortly after because the longer he waits, the less of a chance we have"

Does that make sense?

No, it makes no sense. Time is on our side. If we're playing catch up, every day he doesn't commit to the hometown school (where his entire athletic extended family is or has gone) is to our advantage. If it was such an obvious choice he would have made it already. He's already chosen 11/12 as his tentative announcement date. Every day he doesn't commit to Wisconsin is another day he has to think about playing for KO. So, as time goes on, our odds improve IMO.

 

[Silk31]

It's not always all about who got there 1st...aint that right Native Americans???

The first team to be on a recruit is not proven to be the winner in the recruiting process, it certainly can help and make a lasting impression on some recruits but it is not the ultimate deciding factor...if that were the case then how the hell did we swoop in and land DeAndre Daniels out of thin air without him even stepping foot on UConn's campus prior to committing?

We can speculate all we want but in all reality we have no idea if we are leading or if Wisconsin is leading and for what reasons

 

[mauconnfan]

Underdogs again? Maybe this is a good thing....

 

[Husky1964]

Replying to Funk-------- I think Wiscy gets him but don't go overboard on Bo. He's a good coach who NEVER does much in the Dance. His offensive style like Boeheim's Defensive style does not play well in the tourney. Yes last yr. he did well, but Kamin is a horse, he had to do well. Would like to know his record away from Madison against P5 non conference teams.

 

[Rico444]

I know I got knocked the last time I brought this up, so let's see if I can clarify and expand upon my thoughts from a month or two back.

I would love it if Stone ended up on our team. He's tremendously skilled, and would help our team on paper. My only issue is playing time spread out between him and Brimah, since it seems pretty clear that neither can handle the PF spot defensively. Brimah has a chance to be a difference-maker by his junior year; hell, he already was one on the defensive end as a freshman, and he's only going to get better. As a guy who's likely going to be an all-AAC player who should average 30+ minutes his junior season, is he going to be OK with riding the pine for 20+ minutes a night? Better yet, is that a guy we're going to WANT on the bench for that long? And is Stone going to be ok with the same, as a one-and-done talent? Again, I would love it if he came here, but we all saw what happened when Alex Oriakhi, a guy who was terrific in his sophomore season in leading us to a national championship, moved to the 4 the next season. Not saying either guy will act like Alex did, but it could certainly have an impact on team chemistry. Just something to be mindful of if Stone comes here.

 

[Huskybass]

I know I got knocked the last time I brought this up, so let's see if I can clarify and expand upon my thoughts from a month or two back.

I would love it if Stone ended up on our team. He's tremendously skilled, and would help our team on paper. My only issue is playing time spread out between him and Brimah, since it seems pretty clear that neither can handle the PF spot defensively. Brimah has a chance to be a difference-maker by his junior year; hell, he already was one on the defensive end as a freshman, and he's only going to get better. As a guy who's likely going to be an all-AAC player who should average 30+ minutes his junior season, is he going to be OK with riding the pine for 20+ minutes a night? Better yet, is that a guy we're going to WANT on the bench for that long? And is Stone going to be ok with the same, as a one-and-done talent? Again, I would love it if he came here, but we all saw what happened when Alex Oriakhi, a guy who was terrific in his sophomore season in leading us to a national championship, moved to the 4 the next season. Not saying either guy will act like Alex did, but it could certainly have an impact on team chemistry. Just something to be mindful of if Stone comes here.

To some extent, I can understand what you are saying. However, having both Brimah and Stone would be a great problem to have. I have full confidence in KO that he could find a way to make it work in terms of playing time and success.

 

[James]

If stone commits he will start with brimah and it wont be an issue. stone is athletic enough to guard 4s. he also shoots jumpers. We would have an nba front line and most likely lead the country in blocks. One can only hope stone commits.

 

[Dmike]

I know I got knocked the last time I brought this up, so let's see if I can clarify and expand upon my thoughts from a month or two back.

I would love it if Stone ended up on our team. He's tremendously skilled, and would help our team on paper. My only issue is playing time spread out between him and Brimah, since it seems pretty clear that neither can handle the PF spot defensively. Brimah has a chance to be a difference-maker by his junior year; hell, he already was one on the defensive end as a freshman, and he's only going to get better. As a guy who's likely going to be an all-AAC player who should average 30+ minutes his junior season, is he going to be OK with riding the pine for 20+ minutes a night? Better yet, is that a guy we're going to WANT on the bench for that long? And is Stone going to be ok with the same, as a one-and-done talent? Again, I would love it if he came here, but we all saw what happened when Alex Oriakhi, a guy who was terrific in his sophomore season in leading us to a national championship, moved to the 4 the next season. Not saying either guy will act like Alex did, but it could certainly have an impact on team chemistry. Just something to be mindful of if Stone comes here.

You make a valid point, but we've had success in the past under JC with Emeka and Boone, then with Armstrong and Boone in playing two guys who can handle the 5. I also think that Brimah can cover the 4, he's quick and long enough, he will just have to work on his footwork so that he's not using his hands. While I don't know that it will be our predominant lineup on the floor, it will create significant matchup issues for smaller teams if used for portions of the game. Bottom line Drummond + Oriaki does not equal Brimah + Stone. The dynamic really will be up to Brimah and Stone and will be molded by the coaching staff. Also, Oriaki was a temperamental prim donna, who sulked and played poorly because of a bad attitude and was likely tainted by Jamal Coombs-McDaniel's issues. JC was also not a coddler and probably fanned the flames. KO is a different coach and likely can handle the situation, plus Brimah is a team-first guy IMO.

I would love to have Stone and Brimah, they will make each other better in practice and push each other for playing time, which is good for the team. As KO says take care of your minutes - I never mind bringing in recruits that will challenge for playing time. Good coaches and good players can handle it - sports aren't meant to be easy.

 

[badgerfan007]

Replying to Funk-------- I think Wiscy gets him but don't go overboard on Bo. He's a good coach who NEVER does much in the Dance. His offensive style like Boeheim's Defensive style does not play well in the tourney. Yes last yr. he did well, but Kamin is a horse, he had to do well. Would like to know his record away from Madison against P5 non conference teams.

"Since Bo Ryan was hired in 2001, Wisconsin has been the Big Ten’s best road team, owning the most true road wins (72) and best road win percentage (.514) in the conference. In fact, in that era Wisconsin is the only Big Ten team with a road winning percentage above .500."
http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/This-Week-in-M-Basketball.html

This was the most recent figure I found (February 22, 2014). Though I understand you were asking for games against P5 non-conference games, this just shows how successful he has been in one of the best conferences in the country. Seems that Wisconsin has been better than fine on the road relative to every team in the B1G.

 

[Dmike]

"Since Bo Ryan was hired in 2001, Wisconsin has been the Big Ten’s best road team, owning the most true road wins (72) and best road win percentage (.514) in the conference. In fact, in that era Wisconsin is the only Big Ten team with a road winning percentage above .500."
http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/This-Week-in-M-Basketball.html

This was the most recent figure I found (February 22, 2014). Though I understand you were asking for games against P5 non-conference games, this just shows how successful he has been in one of the best conferences in the country. Seems that Wisconsin has been better than fine on the road relative to every team in the B1G.

Hey Badgerfan, how you feeling about the recruiting battle we're in over Mr. Stone?

 

[Kembacity]

If stone commits he will start with brimah and it wont be an issue. stone is athletic enough to guard 4s. he also shoots jumpers. We would have an nba front line and most likely lead the country in blocks. One can only hope stone commits.

Ugh, want this kid in a UConn uni so bad, he just looks like a Husky to me already. And I think that Brimah would help facilitate any addition of talent to the team as long as he wasn't completely sidled out of the lineup. Seems like a very optimistic kid who is taking this whole basketball thing seriously while still having fun, and he seems adaptable and understanding that the team doesn't at all revolve around him, but winning and doing things the right way in general.

 

[Clockshop]

From TOS:

"For all the schools, I really think it came down to the relationships Diamond had with the coaches," DeShawn Curtis, Stone's coach with the Wisconsin Legends on the AAU circuit, told BadgerBlitz.com

Wisconsin: Being the in-state school and having the opportunity to play close to home is important to Diamond and his family. The success that coach (Bo) Ryan has had in the development of his big guys is certainly something that is appealing. The consistent success coach Ryan has had is also intriguing for any prospect from across the country. As a post prospect, Wisconsin presents the opportunity to get a lot of touches and play inside and outside in that offense if you have that skill set. Like I said before, the chance to stay home is appealing.

UConn: Kevin Ollie, he's an amazing guy. During the recruiting process, Diamond feel in love with coach Ollie. And you can throw UConn up there with Duke as far as the program and what it offers. The interactions that Diamond has had with coach Olie have been amazing and he really, really loves coach Ollie. The plan that they have for him is excellent, but it's all about coach Ollie.

 

[Huskyforlife]

From TOS:

"For all the schools, I really think it came down to the relationships Diamond had with the coaches," DeShawn Curtis, Stone's coach with the Wisconsin Legends on the AAU circuit, told BadgerBlitz.com

Wisconsin: Being the in-state school and having the opportunity to play close to home is important to Diamond and his family. The success that coach (Bo) Ryan has had in the development of his big guys is certainly something that is appealing. The consistent success coach Ryan has had is also intriguing for any prospect from across the country. As a post prospect, Wisconsin presents the opportunity to get a lot of touches and play inside and outside in that offense if you have that skill set. Like I said before, the chance to stay home is appealing.

UConn: Kevin Ollie, he's an amazing guy. During the recruiting process, Diamond feel in love with coach Ollie. And you can throw UConn up there with Duke as far as the program and what it offers. The interactions that Diamond has had with coach Olie have been amazing and he really, really loves coach Ollie. The plan that they have for him is excellent, but it's all about coach Ollie.

It sounds like he maid the wisk stuff up

 

[bear]

From TOS:

Wisconsin: Being the in-state school and having the opportunity to play close to home is important to Diamond and his family. The success that coach (Bo) Ryan has had in the development of his big guys is certainly something that is appealing. The consistent success coach Ryan has had is also intriguing for any prospect from across the country. As a post prospect, Wisconsin presents the opportunity to get a lot of touches and play inside and outside in that offense if you have that skill set. Like I said before, the chance to stay home is appealing.

Maybe I'm crazy but when did Bo Ryan get this rep for having success developing bigs? They have 2 bigs in the NBA and they're both role players who get spot minutes.