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I'm not distinguishing between grad transfers and regular transfers here, but you can if you'd like. My impression used to be that grad transfers were super valuable while regular transfers had to be special if they were going to take up a scholarship for a year. Our success with normal transfers at UConn hasn't been anything to write home about - regardless of how you feel about Rodney's career here, we didn't win with him, and we certainly didn't win with Larrier, either. I'm hard pressed to think of many impactful transfers under Calhoun, but that was a different era.
While I'm fine with the Larrier's and Purvis' of the world, the grad market is where we've really struck gold recently. The yard hasn't seemed totally on board with this practice, which surprises me, since between Kromah, Gibbs, and Miller we're talking about three high level players in the last five years, in addition to Antwoine Anderson who I maintain was a fine fourth guard who took needless heat on here. It's the ultimate maximization of talent and flexibility, and as the Hurley era kicks up its wheels, one would think - even if you're against the practice as a sustainable revenue - that it might be an effective way to repair a roster that is temporarily thin on talent. I also don't think it's overly cynical to believe he's been keeping tabs on certain players all along - whether they're guys he formerly recruited who maybe liked him but wanted something bigger than Rhode Island, or just players he valued, he knew the UConn job was opening up and two weeks ago isn't the first time he thought about it. When you take the job, I imagine you have a plan as to how your roster is going to come together over the first few seasons. Perhaps that plan is to pluck discontent 2018 kids out of the air, but this years final four provides reason to believe there is another path. Every team has key players that started their college careers elsewhere:
Michigan:
- Charles Matthews, their second leading scorer, originally committed to Kentucky as part of Cal's 2015 class. He was on the all-regional team while the Cats were packing for spring break, and probably has the most complete game on Michigan's roster.
- Duncan Robinson, by way of the D-3 ranks, has been one of the nation's best shooters for three years now and played an instrumental role in reviving Beilein's program after their brief post-Stauskas lull. Fourth leading scorer.
Loyola:
- Clayton Custer won MVC POY this season in his second year at Loyola after transferring from Iowa State. Recruited by, I think, Fred Hoiberg, he's proven himself to be one of the best guards in the country, a guy who does it on both ends and scores with remarkable efficiency.
- Marquise Townes is Loyola's third leading scorer and (I think?) the brother of Karl Anthony Towns. He's a terrific player from Fairleigh Dickinson (they won the NEC title his second year there, I believe), you're ultimate 3 and D guy with some play-making pop mixed in.
- Aundre Jackson was a JuCo transfer, which you could argue warrants a separate category. Nonetheless he's a key reserve who managed to be their fourth leading scorer in only 19 MPG.
Kansas:
- Malik Newman isn't a new name, and honestly I'm still shocked a player of his caliber sat out a year. Give him credit, though, he's been their best player in the postseason, averaging 23 PPG on ridiculous 54/55/82 shooting splits.
Villanova:
- Eric Paschall played with Antwoine Anderson for one year Fordham before joining Nova. Currently a Junior, he's developed into an underappreciated yet vital part of their team and a favorite of mine. He only goes about 6'6, but he's all over the court (14 rebounds against Texas Tech in the regional final) and really exemplifies old-school Big East basketball.
Last season, names like Johnathan Williams, Nigel Williams-Goss, and Dylan Ennis got a lot of play, and the year before that, Michael Gbinije led Syracuse on a surprise final four run. With coaches like Bill Self dipping their toe in the water (Newman isn't the only transfer they've had) and a quarter of the starters at this years final four coming over from other schools (could well be 7 given Robinson and Jackson play starters minutes), I think it's at the very least time to put an end to the narrative that transfers are simply disgruntled cast-offs who didn't want to fight for minutes. Whether these guys played up a level or stepped down a level, the investment has been worth it for a lot of these programs.
By no means am I proposing that we build the program this way - there are obvious advantages to lining up four and five star players straight out of high school every year. But if we're trying to bridge the gap between eras and possibly unite talented Ollie holdovers like Adams with attractive runaways from elsewhere, it's an option worth considering. People don't realize how little it takes to vault a program with UConn's resources from the bottom to the top.
While I'm fine with the Larrier's and Purvis' of the world, the grad market is where we've really struck gold recently. The yard hasn't seemed totally on board with this practice, which surprises me, since between Kromah, Gibbs, and Miller we're talking about three high level players in the last five years, in addition to Antwoine Anderson who I maintain was a fine fourth guard who took needless heat on here. It's the ultimate maximization of talent and flexibility, and as the Hurley era kicks up its wheels, one would think - even if you're against the practice as a sustainable revenue - that it might be an effective way to repair a roster that is temporarily thin on talent. I also don't think it's overly cynical to believe he's been keeping tabs on certain players all along - whether they're guys he formerly recruited who maybe liked him but wanted something bigger than Rhode Island, or just players he valued, he knew the UConn job was opening up and two weeks ago isn't the first time he thought about it. When you take the job, I imagine you have a plan as to how your roster is going to come together over the first few seasons. Perhaps that plan is to pluck discontent 2018 kids out of the air, but this years final four provides reason to believe there is another path. Every team has key players that started their college careers elsewhere:
Michigan:
- Charles Matthews, their second leading scorer, originally committed to Kentucky as part of Cal's 2015 class. He was on the all-regional team while the Cats were packing for spring break, and probably has the most complete game on Michigan's roster.
- Duncan Robinson, by way of the D-3 ranks, has been one of the nation's best shooters for three years now and played an instrumental role in reviving Beilein's program after their brief post-Stauskas lull. Fourth leading scorer.
Loyola:
- Clayton Custer won MVC POY this season in his second year at Loyola after transferring from Iowa State. Recruited by, I think, Fred Hoiberg, he's proven himself to be one of the best guards in the country, a guy who does it on both ends and scores with remarkable efficiency.
- Marquise Townes is Loyola's third leading scorer and (I think?) the brother of Karl Anthony Towns. He's a terrific player from Fairleigh Dickinson (they won the NEC title his second year there, I believe), you're ultimate 3 and D guy with some play-making pop mixed in.
- Aundre Jackson was a JuCo transfer, which you could argue warrants a separate category. Nonetheless he's a key reserve who managed to be their fourth leading scorer in only 19 MPG.
Kansas:
- Malik Newman isn't a new name, and honestly I'm still shocked a player of his caliber sat out a year. Give him credit, though, he's been their best player in the postseason, averaging 23 PPG on ridiculous 54/55/82 shooting splits.
Villanova:
- Eric Paschall played with Antwoine Anderson for one year Fordham before joining Nova. Currently a Junior, he's developed into an underappreciated yet vital part of their team and a favorite of mine. He only goes about 6'6, but he's all over the court (14 rebounds against Texas Tech in the regional final) and really exemplifies old-school Big East basketball.
Last season, names like Johnathan Williams, Nigel Williams-Goss, and Dylan Ennis got a lot of play, and the year before that, Michael Gbinije led Syracuse on a surprise final four run. With coaches like Bill Self dipping their toe in the water (Newman isn't the only transfer they've had) and a quarter of the starters at this years final four coming over from other schools (could well be 7 given Robinson and Jackson play starters minutes), I think it's at the very least time to put an end to the narrative that transfers are simply disgruntled cast-offs who didn't want to fight for minutes. Whether these guys played up a level or stepped down a level, the investment has been worth it for a lot of these programs.
By no means am I proposing that we build the program this way - there are obvious advantages to lining up four and five star players straight out of high school every year. But if we're trying to bridge the gap between eras and possibly unite talented Ollie holdovers like Adams with attractive runaways from elsewhere, it's an option worth considering. People don't realize how little it takes to vault a program with UConn's resources from the bottom to the top.