Donnie Freeman in the portal

[BronsonCuse]

I wish Donnie well. It didn't work out here but I don't put that at his feet. He's super skilled with some obvious flaws body/strength wise. I hope he does well though. All in all he seemed like a good kid who really wanted to win and then the season went off the rails for everybody. I do think UConn was a better choice but easy for me to say with no financial gain at stake.

 

[phsyra]

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." IMO, from what I've seen to date, White's athleticism is on a completely different level than Freeman's. That, in and of itself, IMO, gives White a greater ceiling. Donnie doesn't seem to have that good of a handle, and is a bit slow a foot to boot, so getting off shots at the NBA level could be problematic for him at his self-desired 3 spot, not to mention unlikely able to defend NBA wings on the defensive side. If Donnie gets to the NBA, let alone remains there, it'll likely be at the 4 spot as a role player.

White, with considerably better athleticism, will be able to defend much better on the wing. If he can work/improve upon his shooting and ball handling, etc., his superior athleticism over Freeman gives him potentially more staying power. Again, just my opinion.

Hopefully, this becomes true. Donnie much more skilled than White.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I hope when the music stops it turns out Donnie overplayed his hand and he's frozen out.

Not a good post, sports fan.

 

[orangecuse]

I really want to see a reliable mid-range jumper from Sadiq. People keep pointing to advanced metrics and whatnot, citing that a mid-range shot is not statistically valid anymore. But, he doesn't have range i'm comfortable with for 3s, and the alternative in his game is either a dunk or a bodied-up layup attempt, or a hook that may have been effective, but doesn't look smooth yet. If he can prove himself to be a shooter, that's where his ceiling becomes more interesting. He's already quick and athletic. He needs to use that to create easier shots—in space—with less contact.

Who is an NBA comp for Sadiq now? Size and play style?

Well, DeMar DeRozan has been an elite NBA small forward for years with primarily a great mid-range game. White is listed a couple of inches or so taller than DeRozan, but I'm not convinced White is a legit 6'9." In any event, perhaps that may be a player that White could attempt to emulate?

 

[007]

I hope when the music stops it turns out Donnie overplayed his hand and he's frozen out.

It didn't work out for him here. The need to throw mud on him on the way out the door is...something.

He is going to get paid by Kentucky or Bama.

 

[orangecuse]

Hopefully, this becomes true. Donnie much more skilled than White.

White didn't seem to have the freedom that Donnie was given in order for me to assess the actual level of his skill set. Donnie on the other had, in all the freedom given, didn't display, IMO, any high level of any particular skill set. An average at best shooter, handle, etc. from my vantage point. So, "much more skilled?" I'm not one whom shares that sentiment.

 

[qdawgg]

I would trust UConn to get the most out of Donnie versus Kentucky, but that's just me. Alabama could work, maybe not as good as UConn, but better than Kentucky. I could be totally wrong too lol. Regardless I'm rooting for Donnie.

Gotcha. I was thinking you meant NBA teams would care how he handled his “portal recruitment”

 

[phsyra]

White didn't seem to have the freedom that Donnie was given in order for me to assess the actual level of his skill set. Donnie on the other had, in all the freedom given, didn't display, IMO, any high level of any particular skill set. An average at best shooter, handle, etc. from my vantage point. So, "much more skilled?" I'm not one whom shares that sentiment.

This makes sense. Im excited to see White coached up. He is an awesome athlete.

 

[Roc44]

Hopefully, this becomes true. Donnie much more skilled than White.

White way better athlete. NBA ALL ABOUT ATHLETES. White has a chance to survive in the league. He can defend. Donnie is not athletic. I was very disappointed in that. Maybe it was because of injury. The reality is this we played better with white in the line up that’s Donnie. Ceiling higher with Sadiq. Love the kid. Reminds me of a young Dave johnson

 

[tptcuse]

I hope when the music stops it turns out Donnie overplayed his hand and he's frozen out.

Nah. Seems mean to say that. He already gave up a bunch of money out of dedication to Red and wanting to help bring back our program. I hope he makes tons of NIL/Rev share.

 

[jdubs30]

I hope when the music stops it turns out Donnie overplayed his hand and he's frozen out.

Donnie could go to over 150 schools where he’d be the best player and command the most NIL on the roster.

Also, almost every single contender and top program would take him if he was willing to come down slightly on his NIL.

He will plenty of options even if it’s not UK Bama UConn

 

[Zelda Zonk]

White didn't seem to have the freedom that Donnie was given in order for me to assess the actual level of his skill set. Donnie on the other had, in all the freedom given, didn't display, IMO, any high level of any particular skill set. An average at best shooter, handle, etc. from my vantage point. So, "much more skilled?" I'm not one whom shares that sentiment.

Just from watching high school tapes, Donnie had the size and athleticism to do the same things Sadiq did, but Donnie added a strong perimeter game. With Sadiq’s HS videos, I was always left with the question: can he do more than just dunk on shrimpy kids, or cherry-pick on breaks? He displayed very little/limited outside shots. He showed a few threes for us, but that was not his game in high school. Donnie on the other hand did some inside but mostly outside.

I/we thought, even from his all star game appearances, that Donnie was going to come in and be a more effective sniper than he was for us. I don’t know if coaching failed him, or injuries derailed him, or if there was just some loss of confidence at the higher level? I thought he was going to have a very Durant-like style and career at SU. Not that level, but that style. And every year, we projected him to be our best player. That has not been said of Sadiq. That may be unfairly capping expectations of Sadiq’s ceiling. I just don’t see as much versatility on offense as I’d like. On Defense, that’s a different story.

 

[Cusefan0307]

White is a way better athlete than Donnie. I agree he doesn’t quite have the skills yet, but from a defensive standpoint White is the better player due to his quickness and jumping ability.

 

[Nicknack]

First, I'll say I wish we still had Donnie. While I was disappointed in his style of play last year, I was hoping with different coaching that maybe we could see a different version.

My issue with Freeman (that I'm not sure coaching would help) was his desire to avoid contact. He was way too perimeter oriented last year. I felt he didn't showcase what he could do that few other guys could do, because trying to be Durant is sort of a pipe dream. He has immense talent so I wouldn't be surprised if he blows it up eventually.

As for Sadiq, one of the things I love about him is that he knows his role, which is huge on a team. I'm not comparing him to Maliq but both players tend to do what they do best rather than trying to be a version that doesn't speak as well to their skillset.

 

[Briancuse]

Donnie wants to be “coached hard”. He doesn’t want to be coached Hurley hard. I can assure that

He's in for rude awakening lol