Bouknight Off To NBA; Bueckers Makes History As POY

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UConn Daily

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(Photo: David Butler II / USA Today)

So Long, Sir James Bouknight

The Story: James Bouknight is leaving UConn after two years to enter the NBA Draft, where he is expected to be a first-round pick.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: This was an easy decision if there was no emotion to it. Bouknight is a certain first-round pick and that means millions of dollars in his bank account and, as a pro basketball player, one year closer to a possible huge contract. When even bench players in the NBA make $10 million a year on their second contracts, getting there sooner rather than later is an easy call. Why was it so hard for Bouknight?

BOUKNGHT UNHAPPY WITH HOW THINGS ENDED: The losses in the Big East tournament and the first round of the NCAA Tournament left a bitter taste for Bouknight. The one thing that money can not buy is glory in March. There are, for most people, four chances for that to happen, and Bouknight’s dream of a run ended with a thud against Maryland and a 6-for-16 outing. The pull was strong enough for him to consider coming back for another year and taking a shot at glory. That was emotion speaking because Bouknight didn’t come to UConn to be gone in two years. Sure, he dreamed of it, but when you are, preposterously, the 80th-ranked player in your class, you aren’t exactly on the NBA Draft boards. As Dan Hurley said, the NBA took Bouknight away. If teams weren’t calling, he wasn’t going. There is a lesson in that for future players at UConn. Players who go to college as a stopover to the NBA typically don’t have great experiences unless they are top-five recruits. The better approach? Go to college expecting to spend a few years there and the NBA will call when you are ready.

WHERE DOES BOUKNIGHT RANK? This is going to be a fascinating debate. First off, the stats. He only played 43 games, nine more than UConn’s only one-and-done, Andre Drummond. He averaged 13 points per game as a freshman and 18.7 points per game as a sophomore, scoring 645 points. These aren’t normal times, however, and while Drummond’s legacy is one of unfulfilled promise, Bouknight may end up looking like the first breakthrough in a new era. First off, let’s set the record straight. Bouknight is not Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Kemba Walker, Donyell Marshall or Shabazz Napier. All-American status and winning a title (except for the greats in Allen and Marshall) put players on that pedestal. But we think of Bouknight as a watershed talent. UConn hasn’t had a first-round draft pick since Napier in 2015. Bouknight could be the first lottery pick since Drummond and Jeremy Lamb were taken in 2012. Bouknight is proof of concept for Hurley at UConn. He’s the guy who, we hope, kicks off another generation of great NBA players. He’s a pioneer in that aspect for Hurley, and despite a paucity of games played, he reignited the program. We think of him in the Caron Butler camp, just ahead of Rudy Gay in our unofficial UConn list.

WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “We checked in with people whose opinion matters about where he could land and it’s a no-brainer for James. It’s an easy decision. There wasn’t an ounce of me that would try selfishly to talk a kid out of changing his life and the life of his family for the better.”

WHAT DID BOUKNIGHT SAY?

Bueckers Makes History as AP POY

The Story: We knew she was special, but now we have proof: Paige Bueckers was named the Associated Press Player of the Year yesterday, making her the first freshman to ever win one of the top honors in women’s basketball.

HOW DID SHE FIND OUT? Leave it to Geno Auriemma and his usual shenanigans. During a team meeting, he pulled the crystal trophy out of a nondescript cardboard box, acting like he had no idea what was in it. Then, upon handing it to Bueckers, pretended he had dropped it. Bueckers was shocked, tried to give a speech, teared up and then said thank you before getting a group hug.

WHAT DID BUECKERS SAY? “A lot has happened over the past year things that could bring people down. To get a reward and find something positive in these times, you cherish them. … That’s crazy to think about, all the great college players who ever played. The great freshmen who had done great things in their first year in college basketball, it really is surreal that it’s never been done before.”

A FITTING HONOR: We’re not going out on a limb when we say this will be the first of many such awards for Bueckers, who is averaging 20.1 points, 5.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds this season. She received 21 votes from the 30-member panel that votes on the top 25, with Louisville’s Dana Evans the runner-up with four votes. But it is surprising that Bueckers won: The major player of the year awards (AP, Naismith, Wooden and Wade) are generally biased against selecting freshmen even when overwhelmingly deserving (hello, Maya Moore), and it seemed likely that voters would somehow find a way to justify not picking Bueckers.

ELITE COMPANY: The other eight UConn players to win a player of the year award are Rebecca Lobo (1995), Jennifer Rizzotti (1996), Kara Wolters (1997), Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2003), Moore (2009 and 2011), Tina Charles (2010) and Breanna Stewart (2014, 2015, 2016).

WHAT DID GENO SAY? “Name one player that has taken a team this young to where we are today. Who’s done more than her? And if you can give me a better argument, then I would say I’ll vote for them, too. But I don’t think you can.”

Morning Reads

ADAMS TO GW: Guard Brendan Adams announced that he will transfer to George Washington for next season.

MSOC CONTINUES STRUGGLES: The men’s soccer team remained winless at 0-5-1 with a 4-1 loss at Villanova. (UConnHuskies.com)

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