Players leaving early: Who it worked out for and who should have stayed:

[Husky Dad]

First off, every person has their own financial situation and has to make sacrifices. This is not meant to be an attack on any individual. If their stock had a status and they left early on a gamble, did it work out for them. First draft selection, second Professional career. We have had a lot of great players and it seems whenever they leave early it actually impacts their long term potential $ assuming they would be better and get drafted higher the next year.

DD from last year is first one that just happened and I think he should have stayed.
Thinking back, who else could have improved stock by staying? And, is it just totally unfair to ask a kid to stay when he can play elsewhere for money?

 

[SamIamCassell]

I still think Drummond should have stayed at least one more year... At the end of the day, it all worked out for him but with some more seasoning became a top 5 or top 10 pick in the next years draft. He would be a senior this year which seems crazy to me although he never would of stayed this long.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Thabeet and Daniels. Can't blame them, thabeet was going to go in the top3 and I read he wanted to get the money to bring his family over. And Daniels was banked on his post season performance and he did win a NC. Drummond had to go. Maybe he could've used worked offensively but he was a lock for the lottery since high school and now he's one of the best big men in the game,

 

[Jluc]

There was no chance Drummond was coming back once we were banned from the tournament. Deandre is my number one for guys that I feel should have stayed.

 

[Stainmaster]

I still think Drummond should have stayed at least one more year... At the end of the day, it all worked out for him but with some more seasoning became a top 5 or top 10 pick in the next years draft. He would be a senior this year which seems crazy to me although he never would of stayed this long.

To me, Drummond didn't necessarily make the wrong decision. His massive improvement upon making the leap to the NBA has him in line for either a pretty nice extension or a lucrative experience with free agency. I'll probably get $h1t for this, but I think his game is much more suited to an NBA system than it was for UCONN's (or most college programs, for that matter).

 

[Dogdeacon]

Too long: KEA - Might have gotten into first round and stuck in league longer if he'd left after NC
Too early: I'm on record ad nauseam about Drummond for $$, maybe Charlie V?

Really aren't many as almost all of the UConn guys have followed the very good advice the coaching staff provides.

 

[aceboon]

Thabeet and Daniels. Can't blame them, thabeet was going to go in the top3 and I read he wanted to get the money to bring his family over. And Daniels was banked on his post season performance and he did win a NC. Drummond had to go. Maybe he could've used worked offensively but he was a lock for the lottery since high school and now he's one of the best big men in the game,

I don't see what another year in college was going to do for Thabeet that 5 years in the NBA hasn't been able to, he's just not a good NBA player. Steven Adams spent one year at Pitt and immediately came in ahead of him as a player and then in the OKC rotation.

 

[Silk31]

Majokkkk...don't know how he got drafted at all when he bolted but at least we were rid of all his eligibility and recruitment drama

Talk about one of the most over hyped players in UConn history

And for any1 who says Drummond should have stayed his sophmore year during a post season ban is an idiot. What more do you want from the kid, he wanted to be a part of our team so badly that his family paid his own way on as a walk on.

I think he may have considered returning for a quick minute if we weren't banned but he's showing now that even with his down year he shouldn't have slipped that far in the draft - he's a stud muffin

 

[Dynasty]

They all made the right decisions.

 

[Robertelamin]

This is silly. First of all give DD a couple of years. Elamin waited too long, everyone else was selected in the first round.

 

[Husky25]

First off, every person has their own financial situation and has to make sacrifices. This is not meant to be an attack on any individual. If their stock had a status and they left early on a gamble, did it work out for them. First draft selection, second Professional career. We have had a lot of great players and it seems whenever they leave early it actually impacts their long term potential $ assuming they would be better and get drafted higher the next year.

DD from last year is first one that just happened and I think he should have stayed.
Thinking back, who else could have improved stock by staying? And, is it just totally unfair to ask a kid to stay when he can play elsewhere for money?

Isn't Daniels getting paid to play basketball? It's working out the same for him as it has everyone else who has left early and either got drafted in the first round (I.e. guaranteed deal) or is getting paid to play basketball.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Isn't Daniels getting paid to play basketball? It's working out the same for him as it has everyone else who has left early and either got drafted in the first round (I.e. guaranteed deal) or is getting paid to play basketball.

Lance Stephenson made 750K, 810K, 870K and 1.005M his first four years b/c he came out too early. He was hugely underpaid until this summer.

 

[UConn17]

I think Stanley Robinson should have left after 2009

 

[Husky25]

Lance Stephenson made 750K, 810K, 870K and 1.005M his first four years b/c he came out too early. He was hugely underpaid until this summer.

Really? $3.435 Million over 4 years? I'd like to be that kind of underpaid. That's the number I carry under my arm as my retirement figure. I have 30 years to hit it, He did it in 4 summers.

 

[AstarIsBorn31]

Im not going to call it a mistake because I dont know if a year would have really benefited these guys but it was disappointing to see Josh Boone and Marcus Williams not have very long NBA careers. I enjoyed watching these guys. With marcus williams pushing the floor and finishing it with a nice dish or a soft floater. An of course Josh Boone always active on both ends of the floor since stepping out in a UCONN uniform.

But I feel like it can only be labeled a mistake if you leave early and you dont get picked up by a team. Once you get picked up by a team your talent/effort can either transfer to success or failure in the league. Staying in college to work on some parts of your game makes sense but they do that in the NBA as well. For example Drummond clearly left before he was NBA ready but hes working on his development with NBA coaches and players rather then college coaches and athletes, not to mention the legendary Rasheed Wallace took him under his wing aka success .

 

[Horatio]

I never understood why Edmond Saunders left with a year of eligibility remaining . Probably wasn't an NBA player but.....

 

[Strummer]

Toraino should have stayed another year.

 

[Rico444]

If DD stayed and had a monster year, he could've snuck into the late first-round. If he didn't improve at all, he probably doesn't get drafted. So it's hard to say he definitely should have stayed.

 

[Husky1964]

Saunders got a ring and a degree, but JC tired of his act encouraged him to leave after 4 yrs.

 

[johnhuskies95]

PER wise Drummond had the best season of any teenager in the history of the NBA as a rookie, but yeah, he wasn't ready.

 

[David 76]

Donyell hit the lottery by leaving when he did .

 

[SamIamCassell]

Too long: KEA - Might have gotten into first round and stuck in league longer if he'd left after NC
Too early: I'm on record ad nauseam about Drummond for , maybe Charlie V?

Really aren't many as almost all of the UConn guys have followed the very good advice the coaching staff provides.

I kinda forgot about him but Charlie V could of used another year too.

 

[SamIamCassell]

To me, Drummond didn't necessarily make the wrong decision. His massive improvement upon making the leap to the NBA has him in line for either a pretty nice extension or a lucrative experience with free agency. I'll probably get $h1t for this, but I think his game is much more suited to an NBA system than it was for UCONN's (or most college programs, for that matter).

I never saw Drummond give max effort while wearing the huskies uniform. To me, he was just going through the motions and making sure he didn't get hurt to ruin his chances for the NBA. I believe if he tried harder he would of been a higher pick and therefore recieved more $ initially not wait afew years to get a big payday.

 

[Husky25]

I kinda forgot about him but Charlie V could of used another year too.

Dude has made almost $49 Million over a 9 year career, all in the NBA. He was on the 2004 championship team and there was nothing more for him to achieve in college. UConn probably wins the 2006 Championship if he stayed though.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I kinda forgot about him but Charlie V could of used another year too.

He went #7 and was an impact player as a rookie. What are you talking about?