Thabeet Stays, Huskies Cheer, Look Out Big East
College Basketball April 28th. 2008, 2:00pm
Small, insignificant news item that will get completely lost on this busy sports weekend: Connecticut’s Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 center who went from clueless and slow as a freshman to occasionally dominating as a sophomore, will return to the Huskies for his junior season. This solidifies our bullish outlook on the Huskies next season. As of this moment, they’ve only lost backup point guard Doug Wiggins, but Stanley Robinson, last seen on a Joe Alexander poster (alacrity, indeed, Bill), might transfer, too, if message boards are to be believed.
As soon as we saw the Thabeet news, we plunked down some coin on the Huskies at 20:1 to win the title. Musings on other teams after the jump:
UNC at 6:1 – Hansbrough’s back, but title hopes will hinge upon Lawson, Ellington and Danny Green (WTF is he thinking?) return
Texas at 10:1 – if Abrams and Augustin pull out of the draft, this is a top five team all season, but a title? Not sure
Memphis at 18:1 – even if Anderson and Dozier return, there’s zero value here
Duke at 10:1 – might as well light the money on fire or flush it down the toilet
Kansas at 20:1 – Chalmers could return, but Arthur and Rush seem unlikely to; if all three return, they’ll be title contenders
Georgetown at 20:1 – after Connecticut, the Hoyas would be our title gamble. Really like the nucleus
25 Responses to “Thabeet Stays, Huskies Cheer, Look Out Big East”
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April 28th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Putting money down already? You might have a problem TBL.
Green is an idiot if he leaves. Ellington too, Lawson is the only one who real pro potential to me.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Is UConn is still part of the Big East? I thought so. Don’t put ANY money on a Big East team.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Rush can’t return. This is the second year in a row he has declared for the draft and therefore he has to stay in. His college playing days are over.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
softer than Cottenelle Tissue
April 28th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Didn’t know that tidbit. Thanks.
The move by putting money down now at 20:1 equals a far greater return than if you do it at season’s start. I predict Uconn will be down to 7:1 at that point.
$50 on Connecticut = $1000 if they win it all. Considering they return more than any Top 25 team in the country … I like their chances
April 28th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Yeah, the Big East is a terrible conference.
/
April 28th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Dejuan Blair > Hasheem Thabeet
/ridiculous Pitt homer
April 28th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
no, you dont have to be a Pitt Homer to know that. Dejuan Blair is murder
April 28th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
So is UConn gonna be the team “Thabeet?”
BAH – DUM – CHA!!!
April 28th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
+1 atl
Wish I’d thought of it.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Why wouldn’t Green declare for the draft? He’s a junior so he can only pull his name out once, he might as well do it. If he stays in the draft, he’s lost his mind.
I do like UConn at 20-1. Hmm..maybe not a bad idea.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
uconn won’t even be top 3 in the big east. pitt, syracuse, and notre dame will all be better. come on. thabeet is very good at protecting the rim (which is HUGE in college basketball), but he has less offense than hibbert. unless he makes a brook lopez-esque improvement in his offense, uconn won’t be that great.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
RR – Pitt yes, but Syracuse? Green left, right?
Notre Dame will be good, but lose Kurz. And really, do you think Notre Dame could win the national title?
THe Big East will be loaded next year – much better than the Pac 10, SEC and ACC. This is a given based on who’s gone and who’s returning. THe Pac 10 needs to pray some of these kids return
April 28th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
With Izzo gone, we can’t lose. What are the odds? infinity:1?
April 28th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
greene declared but i don’t think he hired an agent. they still have flynn, devendorf, harris, onuaku, and that nasty frenchman. i’m a big fan of onuaku, and flynn can score with the best of them. he’s like a poor man’s bayless from arizona.
forgot about louisville and WV too. you know huggins and pitino will have them reloaded. i was just not impressed with thabeet at all this year. i never saw them just dump it into him for a score.
i haven’t checked ND’s recruiting class, but i think harangody, mcalarney, and torey jackson will be enough for 25 wins. they will certainly be competing for 3 seed, or higher, in my opinion, which should at least put them in the national title conversation.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
If you think ND is good for 25 wins then you have to think the same for Uconn Everyone is back from a team that was a 4 seed in the NCAA tourney.
I hate Uconn, but they are stacked.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
If Price comes back full strength, UConn will be better than Pitt. They were comparable last year, but the Huskies are bringing everybody back, while Ramon and Benjamin (and Cook, not that he was a factor this year) are graduating. They don’t have the a good enough frontcourt. It’s Fields and ??? Young is the only three-point threat, and he’s not even really a guard.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Presumed starting Gtown center Vernon Macklin announced his intent to transfer at the end of last week. Might want to make my beloved Hoyas’ odds larger than you’ve got them, TBL. Only depth in the front court is three freshman. It might be a long year.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Wow, that’s a massive loss. I had no clue about Macklin. Damn. That means heavy minutes on the freshman Monroe. He’s supposed to be good, but as you said – no experience up front.
This makes me like the Conn wager even better.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I’m not sure people completely understand the point in your UCONN bet TBL. Of course any team that you get 20-1 odds on is not a sure-thing bet to win it all and is going to have a few flaws. But, that is why you are getting 20-1 odds. I personally like that selection (although I am the same person who put down $20 to win $1,500 on KState immediately after they beat KU). That pick fell apart real fast.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
none of the UNC guys have agents. This is the very first year where players can be flown to workouts on the pro team’s dimes and it not be a violation. That being said, its easier for them to test the waters (this, btw, is the first time any Roy Williams coached player has ever tested the waters… just saying).
Look for all three to come back, Lawson (and I’m a UNC homer, remember) will get shredded in individual workouts. Look at the first five minutes of the KU game, he goes 3-1, then 4-1, then causes a turnover and Ginyard then gives him the what the @%$% are you doin! look. Its priceless. He’s got quicks but he needs to develop his game b/c he won’t be as fast in the NBA and he can’t just rely on speed.
Green’s just doing it b/c he wants to see where he is draft wise. I think this is sort of a ploy to get him on draft boards for next year; as a preliminary scouting trip if you will. But thats the conspiracy theorist in me.
Ellington has a great shot, but he has to work too hard to get it. He needs to get better moves and tighten up his footwork. 6′4 shooting guards are a dime a dozen in the NBA. Look for him to get better at his crossover (which is good but not great at the moment) and become a better driver. However, contrary to that, I think he needs to look toward becoming a player in the rip hamilton mold (runs alot, comes off crazy screen and spots up) to be successful. I doubt he will tho.
Early indication is that Hansbrough (since this post is too long already) will be developing an outside 3 pt shot and I pray to God someone gives him old videos of Kevin McHale.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
This should read, Thabeet Stays, Huskies cheer, so does every other team.
Thabeet = overrated.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
@vegas watch- Pitt doesnt have a frontcourt huh, wow.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Irish, meant backcourt. Sorry.
April 28th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
uconn also just got a signed LOI from ater majok…and still waiting on john riek.