Time to Chase a Championship?
The Story: The men’s basketball team will begin workouts today and begin Year 4 under Dan Hurley. That means we also expect it to contend for a Big East title because, well, we always do.
BYE BYE BOUKNIGHT: The Huskies’ biggest loss will be James Bouknight, the sophomore guard who was drafted 11th by the Hornets in July.
Also gone are center Josh Carlton, who transferred to Houston, and guard Brendan Adams, who is now at George Washington. We’ll miss them, but their shoes have been filled.
THE FAB FOUR: In their place are a quartet of four-star freshmen who gave UConn the No. 9 recruiting class in the country — better than Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State. That’s how you know UConn is back.
• Jordan Hawkins is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Gaithersburg, Md., who was the No. 50 player in the country. He’s a dynamic scorer who will immediately boost the offense.
• Rahsool Diggins is a 6-foot-1 point guard from Philadelphia. Ranked No. 58, Diggins has a high motor and is considered a rugged defender who could push to start at some point this season.
• Samson Johnson is a 6-foot-10 center from Lomé, Togo, who arrived in the United States when he was 16. A high school teammate of Adama Sanogo, Johnson has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and 3-point range.
• Corey Floyd Jr. is a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Franklin, N.J., who has long-range shooting ability. Originally set to arrive in Storrs next season, he reclassified to play this year.
DON’T FORGET US! The extra year of eligibility granted by the pandemic means Tyler Polley and Isaiah Whaley will stick around for another season, giving the Huskies depth they haven’t had in at least a decade.
• Akok Akok lost most of last season after he tore an Achilles as a freshman. He is reportedly back to the player he was during his first year with the Huskies, but he’ll find minutes as hard to come by as they were last season.
• Jalen Gaffney will continue to push R.J. Cole to be the starting point guard, but no matter who fills that role, it’s clear Hurley is going to want the Huskies to up the tempo significantly.
EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH: UConn hasn’t been this talented since it won the NCAA title in 2014, so we naturally want to shoot for the moon with our expectations. But we’ve also been burned by the years in between, so let’s consider making the NCAA Tournament and a top-two finish in the Big East the baseline for any goals this season.
Ollie Settles In After Leaving UConn
The Story: Even though he’s still embroiled in a legal dispute against the university, Kevin Ollie said he has forgiven UConn for the circumstances of his departure.
WHAT DID OLLIE SAY? “I’ve forgiven. Hopefully, they’ve forgiven,” Ollie told Hearst Connecticut Media. “I’m going on with my life. I’m doing great over here with OTE. I wish Dan Hurley, all those guys, as much success as possible. Hopefully, one day we could possibly (reconcile). But I’m gonna take care of today.”
• Ollie was Jim Calhoun‘s handpicked successor but was fired by UConn in March 2018 after six seasons amid NCAA investigations.
• Ollie filed a lawsuit and is seeking the nearly $11 million remaining on the five-year contract he signed in May 2014. That case is in arbitration.
• “I’ll let my lawyers take care of the arbitration,” Ollie said. “Hopefully, that’s over soon, that’s all behind us, and we can move forward.”
WHAT’S HE UP TO NOW? Ollie is the head coach and director of player development for Overtime Elite (OTE), a new organization that will pay top high school players up to $100,000 a year.
• The organization, based in Atlanta, will have three eight-player teams that will play each other and other top high school teams. It will also provide schooling so players can get their diplomas.
• Eight five-star recruits have already joined OTE, and the coaches include Dave Leitao and Ryan Gomes.
Morning Reads
• A bettor apparently wagered $100,000 on Wyoming to cover the 31-point spread against UConn on Saturday, reminding us all that there are no winners when you bet against UConn — even if you’re presumably a billionaire with that much cash to burn. (Yahoo! Sports)
• Move over, old man. Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose said yesterday that Kemba Walker, the King of MSG, will be the Knicks’ starting point guard this season. (New York Post)
• The men’s hockey team was picked to finish sixth in the Hockey East preseason poll. That bothers us a bit, given the Huskies finished fourth last season, but there has been a lot of roster turnover. (Hockey East)
