Former Cornell PF Shonn Miller has committed to UConn, via Jon Rothstein and others. Miller, a 6-7 power forward, averaged 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Big Red last year, and is eligible to play immediately. Miller graduates from Cornell this spring, and therefore is not required to sit out a year, as is standard for transfer student-athletes. Miller was not eligible to return to Cornell, as grad students are not eligible for athletic participation in the Ivy League.
Miller was one of the most highly-sought after graduate transfers on the market, being linked to California, Michigan, Illinois, Marquette, and Virginia. While this coup may not satisfy UConn fans who have been jilted too many times in the last few months, Miller represents a huge win for Kevin Ollie and his staff. Miller almost certainly steps in and starts next to Amida Brimah up front, with his exceptional defensive rebounding enabling Brimah to protect the basket more aggressively. He also possesses strong low-post moves and an effective mid-range pull-up jumper. He struggled from three last year (27%), but may sharpen his stroke in an offense where he’s likely to have more open looks.
Kevin Ollie has stated that he is not finished recruiting for next season, clearly seeing the need for upgrades as UConn fell in the first round of the NIT. With two as-of-yet unclaimed scholarships, Ollie will likely be looking for an additional ball-handling guard and a zone-busting wing. Some players who remain available:
Rasheed Sulaimon – The former Duke guard is the first player ever dismissed by Mike Krzyzewski, who stated that Sulaimon “repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations” to remain on the team. Sulaimon was accused of sexual assault by two separate women while at Duke, and while a talented scorer, certainly looks to be more trouble than he’s worth. His name has not been linked with UConn (and let’s hope it stays that way).
Ricky Tarrant – This combo guard was a starter at Tulane and Alabama, scoring effectively and handling the ball well. Though not an exceptional shooter, Tarrant would be a dangerous player on offense, and likely would be able to start at PG, allowing Jalen Adams to come off the bench to begin the year.
Adam Smith – Smith, an economical scorer graduating from Virginia Tech, averaged over 13 points last year on under 11 field goal attempts, with an exemplary True Shooting Percentage of .567. Smith would serve as a zone-buster for the Huskies, who struggled at times last year to get the ball in the hands of players willing to take perimeter shots.
It’s also very likely that notable players become available for transfer at the end of the semester. Kevin Ollie figures to be involved with a number of options, so here’s hoping he can put the finishing touches on a championship-caliber roster.
