Darius Smith

[Not Guilty]

If anyone remembers, we recruited Darius very hard before he decided to sign with UCONN in what was considered a pretty big surprise.

Adam Zagoria just reported on twitter that he is transferring. Any chance he comes to UC?

 

[JasonS]

If anyone remembers, we recruited Darius very hard before he decided to sign with UCONN in what was considered a pretty big surprise.

Adam Zagoria just reported on twitter that he is transferring. Any chance he comes to UC?

I doubt it. Usually schools won't allow you to transfer within the conference.

 

[bearcat jeff]

Agreed, however with the current violations situation at UConn who knows?

 

[TheLongHaul]

Why would UC want a guy that couldn't play on a team that UC beat twice?

 

[ucdave]

Didn't we sign Parker once we lost out on Smith? I could be wrong there but that's how I remember it. So I think its a non-issue. Smith made his choice then, no more room for him now.

 

[Not Guilty]

Why would UC want a guy that couldn't play on a team that UC beat twice?

He was only a freshman and he was behind Dyson and Walker, two of the better guards in the Big East.

He is a talented player. I would gladly take him if he wanted to come to UC.

 

[Not Guilty]

Didn't we sign Parker once we lost out on Smith? I could be wrong there but that's how I remember it. So I think its a non-issue. Smith made his choice then, no more room for him now.

If UC could find a pg that they liked, they would gladly take him and move Parker off the ball.

We aren't good enough to turn away talented players.

 

[TheLongHaul]

He was only a freshman and he was behind Dyson and Walker, two of the better guards in the Big East.

He is a talented player. I would gladly take him if he wanted to come to UC.

He still only averaged 4 mpg and 1 ppg. Even if he was playing behind the best players in the country if he was good he'd get more PT than that, especially on a sub par UConn team. When I did see him play he didn't look like someone worth giving a scholarship for and certainly not one that was worth a scholarship for sitting out during a transfer year.

 

[BearcatAlum1]

Darius Smith was a talented player in high school and is still a very talented player. He would be an addition to most teams in the country.

However, this ship (no pun intended) might have sailed when he went to Uconn.

 

[JasonS]

Darius Smith was a talented player in high school and is still a very talented player. He would be an addition to most teams in the country.

However, this ship (no pun intended) might have sailed when he went to Uconn.

I agree. People tend to downgrade a kid's talent when goes elsewhere and build up the expectations when the kid signs with UC. It is human nature. Darius Smith is a good ball player. If he can shoot from distance sign him up. I think he will not be playing in the Big East though. I think Greer Wright is our man.

 

[TheLongHaul]

I agree. People tend to downgrade a kid's talent when goes elsewhere and build up the expectations when the kid signs with UC. It is human nature. Darius Smith is a good ball player. If he can shoot from distance sign him up. I think he will not be playing in the Big East though. I think Greer Wright is our man.

It has nothing to do with downgrading his talent because he didn't go to UC. Kemba chose UConn over UC and I think he is a stud. I would argue people tend to upgrade his talent based on the fact that he was a top 100 recruit at one point in time. I doubt anyone here ever saw him play in HS because he was very unknown until his senior year of HS. So did you guys see something while he was at UConn that would lead you to believe he would be good at UC? I watched a good amount of UConn and saw Smith when he did get in and he never looked like a very good player. Sure he could become a decent player but I really don't think he is any better than what is on UC's current roster as far as young players go.

As for his shooting from distance, that has never been one of Smith's strengths.

 

[JasonS]

It has nothing to do with downgrading his talent because he didn't go to UC. Kemba chose UConn over UC and I think he is a stud. I would argue people tend to upgrade his talent based on the fact that he was a top 100 recruit at one point in time. I doubt anyone here ever saw him play in HS because he was very unknown until his senior year of HS. So did you guys see something while he was at UConn that would lead you to believe he would be good at UC? I watched a good amount of UConn and saw Smith when he did get in and he never looked like a very good player. Sure he could become a decent player but I really don't think he is any better than what is on UC's current roster as far as young players go.

As for his shooting from distance, that has never been one of Smith's strengths.

I wasn't referring to you specifically but people in general. Don't take it so personally. People in Cincinnati (and other places too) tend to pump up their recruits often times at the detriment of another recruit that signed elsewhere. It happens all the time.

As far as his shooting is concerned, kids can improve. I never saw him play so I don't know if it ever was a strength or is one now. My point was, if he can shoot, Mick should go after him. If not, stay away. In this case, it doesn't matter because he won't get an unconditional release.

 

[Bearcat_NTS]

Darius Smith? No thanks. No need for a guy who couldn't get off the bench and looked pretty lost when he was out there, we have Larry Davis and Dion Dixon covering that role already.

 

[TheLongHaul]

I wasn't referring to you specifically but people in general. Don't take it so personally. People in Cincinnati (and other places too) tend to pump up their recruits often times at the detriment of another recruit that signed elsewhere. It happens all the time.

I don't take message board posts personal, I was just responding to your post. I was pretty much the only person to say that D. Smith good enough for UC so if you're post wasn't in response to mine than I'm not sure what your point was...no offense.

As far as his shooting is concerned, kids can improve.

Sure, but we could say that about everyone on our team and in that case we wouldn't need a shooter.

I never saw him play so I don't know if it ever was a strength or is one now. My point was, if he can shoot, Mick should go after him. If not, stay away.

I wish it was that easy and that all the team needed was a shooter. If that was the case I would probably had played college ball. UC needs a shooter who can play defense and pass and be an all around good player. I don't think Brad Redford would help UC out too much.

 

[JasonS]

I wish it was that easy and that all the team needed was a shooter. If that was the case I would probably had played college ball. UC needs a shooter who can play defense and pass and be an all around good player. I don't think Brad Redford would help UC out too much.

Wow, you took that a little too literally. The point is, we know the kid is good enough to play Major D-I ball or at least many coaches think so including Jim Calhoun and Mick Cronin. Many of these kids are good enough to play ball but aren't good shooters. Many good shooters aren't Division I talents. This kid is a Division I talent and therefore, it is that simple. If he is a good shooter, take a chance. If not, pass. Once again, it doesn't matter in this case.

 

[TheLongHaul]

Wow, you took that a little too literally.

I didn't really take it that literally but I see those statements all the time and they just don't make too much sense. We all know it takes a lot more than a shooter to be a good player, especially in the Big East.

The point is, we know the kid is good enough to play Major D-I ball or at least many coaches think so including Jim Calhoun and Mick Cronin.

How do you know he is good enough to play major D1 ball? He played 4 minutes a game for UConn. Just because teams recruited him doesn't mean he is good enough. Anthony McClain wasn't good enough. Mandelove wasn't good enough. Plenty of mistakes are made by coaches. Just because he wears UConn on his jersey does not make him good. UConn was not very good last year and Smith still couldn't see the court. And when he did he looked pretty bad.

Many of these kids are good enough to play ball but aren't good shooters. Many good shooters aren't Division I talents. This kid is a Division I talent and therefore, it is that simple. If he is a good shooter, take a chance. If not, pass. Once again, it doesn't matter in this case.

It isn't that simple. What again makes him a Division 1 talent, specifically a high D1 talent since we are talking about UC here? What have you seen from him that tells you he is a D1 talent?

 

[bearcat jeff]

UConn had a starting backcourt of Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson. Both players will play in the NBA. Dyson averaged 17 ppg and Walker 14 ppg. Donnell Beverly was the third guard and he was a junior. It's not uncommon that a freshman doen't get a lot of pt, especially in the BEast on a team with upperclassmen with NBA talent in front of him. Not saying he is a star, but don't judge him after one season playing behind Dyson and Walker. Dyson averaged almost 34 minutes a game and Walker over 35. Beverly almost 10. Not many minutes left for others.

 

[TheLongHaul]

I think if he was good enough he would have played more than 4 minutes. I also think his transferring has to do with the amount of future PT he expects to receive. But I'm also judging his abilities off what I saw when he did play. Others are basing it off the name on his jersey and who recruited him out of hs. Then again, there were people on here who wanted Mick to go after J'Mison Morgan after he decided to transfer.