Archive for April 21st, 2012

Who’s coming, Who’s going

Saturday, April 21, 2012 by:Kevin Duffy
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Roscoe Smith’s departure is the first true surprise of this offseason.

Jeremy Lamb was gone regardless of the APR ruling, and no one can blame Andre Drummond for jumping at top-five money. And given the way Alex Oriakhi was talking in the minutes following UConn’s NCAA tournament loss to Iowa State, his decision wasn’t much of a shock, either.

In case you’ve lost count, that’s five players leaving and two coming in. Let’s take a look…

ON THE WAY OUT

Alex Oriakhi – Perhaps the most sought-after transfer in the nation, Oriakhi settled on Missouri before visiting any other schools.

Roscoe Smith (AP)

“It was always Missouri in the back of my mind,” Oriakhi said. “I felt very comfortable when I got here, to be honest, and I said ‘Why delay it? Why keep that going on?’ It’s been very stressful. I definitely wanted to just get it over with.”

Andre Drummond – There’s no question that Drummond needs polish — lots of it. There’s also no question that he’s a top five pick. A player’s stock doesn’t get much higher than that, and Drummond decided it was too risky to not make the jump now.

Jeremy Lamb – Much like former Husky Rudy Gay, Lamb’s game is tailor-made for the NBA. He should be an impact player as a rookie.

Michael Bradley — The 6-foot-10 project never saw a sniff of game action in his two years at UConn. Bradley visited Western Kentucky last weekend.

Roscoe Smith –If he stayed, Smith would have almost certainly been the starter at power forward. But, long-term, it makes sense for Smith to take a year to work on his game and play two more seasons at a high-major school.

ON THE WAY IN

Omar Calhoun — Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the program, Calhoun has remained firm in his commitment. He’ll be a vital player for next year’s guard-heavy team.

R.J. Evans — Perfect fit for UConn in a transition year. His defense and physical play will earn him some minutes in three-guard lineups.

UCONN’S ROSTER NEXT SEASON

*Huskies have four scholarships available

Starters

G — Shabazz Napier

G — Ryan Boatright

F — DeAndre Daniels

F — Tyler Olander

C — Enosch Wolf

Bench

G — R.J. Evans

G — Omar Calhoun

G/F — Niels Giffey

G — Brendan Allen

Roscoe Smith granted release

Saturday, April 21, 2012 by:Kevin Duffy
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Just when the storm seemed to settle, another Husky decided to jump ship.

Roscoe Smith (AP)

UConn’s mass exodus continued – the tally is now at five – as sophomore forward Roscoe Smith has been granted his release from scholarship, a source confirmed to the Hearst Connecticut Media Group Saturday morning.

The news was first reported by CBSSports.com’s Jeff Goodman.

Smith’s impending exit deals another crippling blow to UConn’s depleted frontcourt, which has already lost Alex Oriakhi to transfer – he committed to Missouri Friday – and freshman Andre Drummond to the NBA Draft. Reserve big man Michael Bradley also filed for transfer, leaving Tyler Olander as the only post player with significant experience.

Smith, a starter in 33 of 41 games during UConn’s run to the 2011 national title, struggled to crack the rotation on a regular basis this past year. He averaged just 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game. A natural small forward, Smith received most of his time as a high post player, where he thrived for a critical five-game stretch that helped UConn clinch its NCAA berth.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds and drew one enormous charge – “the first charge we’ve taken in six months, I think,” UConn associate head coach George Blaney said half-jokingly – to lead UConn to a victory over Pitt in the regular-season finale.

”It’s a long season,” Smith said afterwards. “The one thing you’ve got to do is be patient. Being very religious, I continued to pray and be positive about everything. Villanova was the turning point for me. They gave me an opportunity. I took advantage of it.”

Despite his late emergence, Smith’s season went a lot like Oriakhi’s. In 21 consecutive games from late-November to late-February, Smith failed to log 20 minutes.

Also like Oriakhi, Smith, a top 50 player out of high school, figures to attract plenty of interest from competitive high-majors. The only difference: He’ll have to sit out a year.

NCAA rules allow Oriakhi to transfer without penalty because his eligibility (one year) is concurrent with the postseason ban in which UConn faces. Smith has two years remaining, so he won’t suit up for his new school until 2013-14.

In order for UConn to maintain a high APR – an issue that has, in part, contributed to the unraveling of the Huskies’ roster – Smith, Oriakhi, Bradley and Jeremy Lamb must leave the semester in good academic standing.

Without Smith, the Huskies have four scholarships to fill. They’re undoubtedly in the market for a big man, and 2012 prospects Chris Obekpa (6-foot-8) and Bradley Hayes (6-foot-11) remain uncommitted.

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