With UConn getting a trio of strong transfers so far, I will absolutely give coverage of each transfer as well as the larger impact they should have on the program in the next week. Before that however, I have to examine the four transfers UConn lost (Rahsool Diggins, Akok Akok, Jalen Gaffney and Corey Floyd Jr.), the circumstances behind each player’s decision and the impact they had on the Huskies while in Storrs. In a lot of ways, I think the three transfers UConn has gotten in the portal so far this offseason are a net positive over the ones they lost. However, losing each transfer is very disappointing, especially the transfers of Gaffney and especially Floyd. One thing that’s obvious: Having at least one or two players transfer from the Huskies in the portal should be the norm in the next few years, particularly with the attractiveness of NIL deals.
Below are my thoughts about the four transfers. It is said to see them all go. However, I think the transfers will as a group likely find better opportunities with their new programs.
Rahsool Diggins
When Diggins first committed to UConn in the summer of 2020, there was a hope that he could be the next great UConn point guard. The four-star Philly product was seen as a top-10-point guard in the 2021 class and a top-60 player overall, and was named the Pennsylvania Player of the Year as a senior playing for Archbishop Wood High School. The Huskies snagged Diggins over blue-chip programs like Florida, Villanova and Kansas a long with over strong ones. On the recruiting circuit, Diggins was seen as a strong ball handler who could attack and score at the basket, and was especially heavily praised for his leadership ability. When he arrived in Storrs last summer, Diggins continued to be praised for his potential, swagger and leadership potential.
At the beginning of this past season, it was hoped by fans that Diggins could become a reliable backup at point guard to R.J. Cole and Gaffney by the end of the year and a general sparkplug off the bench. However, he never displayed the ability to do so. Diggins only twice played more than seven minutes (against Central in the opener and Grambling State) and no more than three minutes in the four Big East games he played in. Ultimately, Diggins shot just 3-10 and committed 6 turnovers against 4 assists. Diggins turnover rate in the miniscule minutes he played was 45.6%.
Like most fans, I was desperate to see Diggins appear more, especially with Gaffney disappointing throughout Big East play. However, it is understandable to me why Hurley didn’t give him more run time. Diggins appeared overwhelmed when he did appear during garbage time, struggling to run the offense and handle the ball efficiently. There is the caveat that Diggins almost never played with multiple starters. Between his play and the whispers about him struggling on defense and consistently running the offense in practice, it seems that Diggins was not ready for the level of play as a freshman. If Diggins had been performing well in practice as the season went on, I think it’s likely that he would have taken minutes from Gaffney, just as Jalen did as a freshman from Alterique Gilbert.
After looking at a handful of programs on the East Coast, including Penn State, Diggins decided to transfer to UMass and play for new head coach Frank Martin, who led South Carolina to the Final Four five years ago. The decision makes a lot of sense, as Diggins will be able to play for a coach who’s determined to give opportunities to young players and should get more playing time at a slightly lower level of competition. Diggins definitely has the skills to be an effective point guard for a winning A-10 program and possesses the drive to succeed. Diggins decision to not stay longer at UConn to compete for playing time still stings, but it makes sense when he knew Dan Hurley would bring in an experienced point guard as a transfer, which turned into Tristen Newton. Best of luck to him.
Akok Akok
The big man entered Storrs from Putnam Science Academy three years ago with a ton of hype, and his athletic and energetic style of play endured him to fans early on as a freshman. Unfortunately, Akok’s Achilles tear in February of his first year was a devastating injury that had a huge effect on his athleticism and overall game, larger than myself and most fans expected. Even when he re-entered the rotation for good this past season, Akok’s playing time was very inconsistent and he never showed the same athleticism he had as a freshman. After his checkered year and no guarantee he would be a go-to guy as a senior, Akok understandably decided he needed a fresh start and transferred to Georgetown to play for Patrick Ewing.
Akok played in 23 games this past season and was absent from a decent number due to a combo of health and matchups issues. He appeared in just three of the last 13 games and played double-digit minutes in Big East play just five times. Akok, who is “6-9” and has a larger wingspan but is pretty skinny, scored in double figures just three times (against St. Bonaventure, Grambling State and Coppin State) and grabbed double-digit rebounds just once. Akok was still plenty effective as shot blocker in certain games, recording 3 or more in seven games.
Overall, Akok had an offensive rating of 126.4 and a true shooting percentage of 55.2%. Akok had a defensive rebounding percentage of 16.6% and blocked 8.2% of shots on offense. Akok’s offensive statistics were heavily boosted by his shooting from deep, as he made over 46% of 3-pointers on 28 attempts. However, Akok shot under 50% inside the arc, with most of these coming right at the rim, and missed 12 of 18 free throws.
Because of his shot-blocking and perimeter shooting skills, Akok seemed like a good complement to Isiah Whaley and Adama Sanago in the frontcourt. There was also a good possibility he could become more effective over the course of the season as he built up stamina during the Big East schedule. These hopes never lived up to the reality, however. While Akok remained an excellent weak-side shot blocker, the athleticism he lost from injury and body type made it tough for Akok to be a reliable defender and shut down guys 1-on-1. On offense, Akok similarly lacked explosiveness and never scored consistently in the paint. On both ends of the floor, he looked disengaged at times and now did not have the stamina to play for long stretches at a time.
I agree with some fans that Hurley did not give Akok enough minutes on the floor at times to help spread out the offense or provide another shot-blocking and rebounding threat. In the end though, it was hard to deny that Akok got lost easily on defense and was not well-incorporated on offense. Considering the high ceiling Akok originally indicated he could reach it is a sad story that injuries caused Akok to currently be less skilled.
When Akok decided to transfer he mainly looked at Georgetown, Pittsburgh and West Virginia as possible destinations before deciding to join Georgetown and Patrick Ewing for next season. Akok was told he could get more consistent playing time and maybe even become a starter in DC, and would provide the Hoyas the perimeter scoring and defense they are looking for as the program looks to get back on track. With no guarantee of how much playing time he would see in Storrs and a loaded frontcourt, it is understandable that Akok chose to follow a fresh start. The best of luck to him, and I’ll always remember the highlight-reel plays he provided.
Jalen Gaffney
Before Diggins was looked at as the next great UConn point guard, it was Gaffney (one of many New Jersey natives on the Huskies) who fans hoped would hold that title. Gaffney came in as higher-ranked than James Bouknight and for good reason. And as a freshman, he showed a lot of promise and even took the starting point guard position from Alterique Gilbert late in the season. Unfortunately, Gaffney did not take a huge step forward as a sophomore and then underperformed nearly across the board this past season. When Hurley made it clear that he was going to go after point guards in the transfer portal, Gaffney chose to pursue a starting role at Florida Atlantic, a member of Conference USA.
After having an offensive rating of 107.7 and true shooting percentage of 55.4% as a sophomore, Gaffney’s advanced shooting marks fell to 103.4 and 48.9% as a junior. His traditional field goal shooting percentage also suffered, as Gaffney shot just 38.1% inside the arc and 29.5% on 3-pointers, nearly seven percent lower than 2021. Gaffney attacked the basket much less than expected and struggled to finish in the paint, and his struggles from deep limited UConn’s ability to stretch the floor. This was after he was expected to be one of the team’s main 3-point threats entering the season. Gaffney did not score in double-digits in Big East play and had an offensive rating of just 91.6 while shooting 30% from the field.
Gaffney’s ball-handling did improve somewhat as a junior but slipped in Big East play. He had an assist rate of 27.2% overall against a turnover rate of 21.4%, but his turnover rate jumped to 27.3% in the conference, three points higher from his sophomore year. He frequently had multiple assists outside the conference early in the season but just three times in conference play. Overall, his assist to turnover ratio was roughly 1.5-1. Gaffney generally did a decent job of managing the offense when R.J. Cole played off the ball, but was still inconsistent and could not be relied upon to run the offense with Cole sitting against the best teams. His shooting struggles and mediocre defensive play caused Gaffney to lose playing time over the course of the season and put more pressure on Cole while forcing Andre Jackson to also act as a secondary ballhandler. On defense, Gaffney was a reliable threat to get steals and his on-ball defense was somewhat improved, but still struggled to defend high-quality guards despite his size.
Gaffney’s inability to live up to expectations in 2022 was especially frustrating because of the strong end to his sophomore year how much fans and Dan Hurley were hoping he would bring. All preseason long, they kept hearing about how Gaffney “would be more aggressive” and “take on a leadership role” while allowing Cole to play off-ball more. A large part of the reason UConn didn’t really look at transfers in 2021 was because of how much faith Hurley and the other coaches had in Gaffney, and it’s just sad that he could not fulfill it. By the end of the season, Gaffney appeared timid and somewhat disengaged. I don’t mean to gang up on him, but I had definitely soured on Gaffney by midway through the season.
All this being said, Gaffney could find a lot of success at Florida Atlantic. It’s a program that is trying to build on a solid 2022 season and needed an experienced point guard. Gaffney’s size, athleticism and experience should give him a big heads up against a lot of the competition in C-USA. In addition, I am sure he will be motivated to prove his critics wrong and reach his potential in his two years at FAU (second his extra year of eligibility due to Covid-19). After representing the Huskies well both on and off the court, a fresh start for Gaffney could be wonderful for him and I will be rooting for Gaffney from afar.
Corey Floyd Jr.
The full story of what exactly happened with Floyd Jr.’s decision to leave UConn, where he had redshirted this past year and was primed to get solid playing time in 2023, and transfer to rival Providence (his father’s alma matter) will not likely be understood for a few years. All I know is that hearing he was entering the transfer portal in April and then going to the Friars, where he originally was originally recruited, made me equal parts sad, angry and confused. A month plus later, it’s confusion that reigns the day.
Floyd, another NJ recruit who played at Roselle Catholic, was a “6-4” four-start recruit and considered by recruiters as one of the best combo guards in his class. When he originally committed to the Huskies last winter, he chose them over Providence and Rutgers as well as a handful of other strong programs. Floyd was targeted by Hurley and lead recruiter Kamani Young for his ball-handling skills and ability to attack the basket, jump-shooting and strength. Floyd reclassified to 2022 so he could go to UConn early, and agreed with Hurley and coaches to redshirt this past season to work on improving his game and strength and get the chance to compete against the whole team in practice. When Floyd said that he would initially redshirt, he also promised he would work hard to improve and get it lifted so he could compete in games.
From all reports, Floyd improved very highly over the course of the season and became stronger. Hurley even said right after the season that Floyd could have helped UConn with the depth issues it experienced at guard, although he gave no indication that Floyd would have played much if at all. There is almost nothing known about why Floyd decided to leave and chose Providence specifically versus the other schools that tried to attract him in the portal, most notably Rutgers. He had not given any interview quotes about the subject and Hurley or Friars coach Ed Cooley isn’t going to reveal Floyd’s thinking process.
However, there were Internet rumors that Floyd and his family had been told by Hurley that his redshirt would be lifted if Floyd performed well enough in practice, and yet Hurley had decided to not do so when Floyd thought he was outperforming members of the rotation in practice before saying Floyd could have helped the Huskies after the season ended. Those rumors caused the Floyd family to lose faith in Hurley and Corey to defect to Providence. Considering how the timeline played out, that tracks. This is especially true if there weren’t any extenuating issues with Floyd’s family that caused him to decide to leave.
Obviously, I am not a psychic and have no insight into what happened between Floyd and UConn and why he decided to leave so abruptly when it looked like there would be good opportunity to earn playing time next season. It’s not hard to conclude however that Floyd likely mismanaged Floyd. With the transfer portal currently being a Wild West, it makes no sense to redshirt a player for an entire year, especially when he had the potential and immediate strengths that Floyd offered. In retrospect, what should have been done was to try and see if Floyd could have finished his high school credits early and then joined the team for spring practices and workouts in 2021, similar to what Alex Karaban is doing no and what Akok did before him. That way, Floyd would have been able to work on his game and build relationships with teammates while seeing the program and Hurley up close. If he had changed his mind and then decommitted before the season started, it would have made much more sense. Instead, Floyd got to improve his skills and strength and conditioning while not having the reward of playing in games, and UConn, Hurley and Floyd’s former teammates are left holding the short end of the stick.
While my feelings on Floyd’s decision to go to Providence have mostly stabilized in the month since it happened, there was definitely a sense of bitterness when he chose the Friars of all programs. How dare he go to a rival right down the road? But Floyd is entitled to look out for his best interests, and I can see him becoming one of their team’s best players over the next two to three years. I just hope he has his worst games against the Huskies. To all fans, I urge them to not be angry at Floyd or blame Hurley for letting him get away if Floyd becomes a star. Instead, blame how messed up the current transfer portal system is and pray that a similar situation doesn’t occur with another UConn recruit. Adios, Corey. I hardly knew you.
HUSKY NATION 