With Hamilton Gone, What Of Purvis?

UConn sophomore Daniel Hamilton surprised many yesterday when he confirmed to Dom Amore of the Hartford Courant that he was in the process of signing an agent, making him ineligible to play college basketball again next season. Hamilton’s prospects in the draft are questionable, as he doesn’t appear on many mock drafts, and he’s coming off what was, in many ways, a disappointing season.

However, it appears that Hamilton never considered returning to UConn for his junior year. He’s been in Los Angeles since the end of the season, and he’s maintained his eligibility this semester by taking online courses. Hopefully he’s able to sneak into the draft and stick somewhere, but a worst-case scenario probably sees him getting a lucrative deal somewhere in Western Europe, which ain’t so bad.

With Hamilton gone, the complexion of next year’s team changes dramatically. Presumably, VCU transfer Terry Larrier or top-100 sharpshooter Vance Jackson will slide into Hamilton’s spot in the lineup, with the other providing ample cover at the position. Both are capable players, but neither is the go-to guy that UConn was relying on Hamilton to be. This leaves a void for someone to slide into, and that someone could be Rodney Purvis. Purvis has, in recent months, twice confirmed that he intends to return to UConn next year. I have no particular reason to doubt his word, but things can change when players start talking to professional teams. Purvis does not appear to be a likely draft candidate this year either, and would probably need a big season next year to change that.

Of course, if Purvis returns, he would be in an ideal position for exactly that kind of season. There are areas of his game that need some work — finishing around the rim and ball-handling, in particular. But 12 months ago we would have said the same about his long-distance shooting and his performance from the free throw line, both of which improved dramatically this past season. If Purvis comes back next year and is ready to score a lot of points, he’s going to have an opportunity. If he puts together a season with a FG% north of .460, .400 percent or better from three, and .750 or better from the line, all while limiting turnovers and scoring in the range of 17-20 points per game, he might look a lot more like an NBA player.

Purvis has been a streaky player, but if he can improve his consistency (not getting benched for having his first bad game of the season might help with that), while being the go-to scorer on a tournament team, he could definitely be in significantly better position a year from now. Let’s hope he sees it that way.

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